PRESENTED  TO  THE  LIBRARY 


OF 


PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


BY 


f/lvs.  Ale3<iQndcp  Ppoudfit. 


AWAKE,  THOU  SLEEPER! 


A    SERIES   OF 


AWAKENING   DISCOURSES 


BY    THE    LATE 


REV.  J.  A.  CLARK,  D.D., 

AUTHOR  OF  '  THE  PASTOR's  TESTIMONY,'  '  WALK  ABOUT  ZION,' 

*  GATHERED  FRAGMENTS,'  '  YOUNG  DISCIPLE,' 

*  GLEANINGS  BY  THE  WAY,'  ETC. 


NEW  YORK: 

ROBERT  CARTER,   58   CANAL  STREET. 
PITTSBURG: THOMAS    CARTER. 

1844. 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1844,  by 
ROBERT    CARTER, 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


VINCENT   L.  DILL,  STEREOTYPER. 


EDWARD    O.    JENKINS,    PRINTER, 

114  JVassau  Street. 


CONTENTS 


DISCOURSE  I. 

Unconverted  Men  are  Asleep, 

DISCOURSE  11. 

Unconverted  Men  must  be  Awakened,     . 


Page. 


30 


DISCOURSE  III. 
Importance  of  immediate  attention  to  Religion, 

DISCOURSE  IV. 
The    Absurdity,   Danger,  and    Guilt  of   Procrastination    in 
Religion, 

DISCOURSE  V. 
The  Sinner  must  be  convinced  of  Sin,     .... 

DISCOURSE  VI. 
The  Sinfulness  of  an  Unconverted  State, 

DISCOURSE   VII. 
Objections  to  the  endless  Punishment  of  the  Wicked  silenced 

DISCOURSE  VIII. 
How  Sin  is  to  be  taken  away,  .... 

DISCOURSE  IX. 
If  Christ  be  rejected,  there  can  be  no  Salvation,      . 

DISCOURSE  X. 
The  Freeness  of  the  Gospel  Salvation      .... 


50 


74 


118 


161 


189 


209 


226 


AVAKE,  THOU  SLEEPER! 


DISCOURSE    I. 

UNCONVERTED  MEN  ARE  ASLEEP. 

"  Awake  thou  that  sleepest." 

Eph.  v.  14. 

In  the  Series  of  Discourses  which  I  commence  this 
evening,  my  remarks  will  not  be  addressed  so  parti- 
cularly to  Christians,  as  to  those  who  have  hitherto 
neglected  the  things  of  religion — those  who  are  not 
conscious  to  themselves  that  they  have  any  evidence 
of  a  renewal  of  heart. 

I  wish  to  be  permitted  to  speak  to  this  portion  of 
the  congregation  with  great  plainness  and  fidelity. 
Will  you  not  grant  me  this  favour? 

I  desire  to  place  myself  before  you  in  the  attitude 
of  a  friend,  and  to  pour  into  your  ear  the  warm  con- 
victions of  my  own  heart  in  relation  to  your  situation 
as  the  creatures  of  God,  and  as  candidates  for  immor- 
tality. 

I  do  most  confidently  believe,  that  if  you  will  but 
patiently  listen  to  me,  and  allow  your  sympathies  in 
some  degree  to  go  along  with  me,  while  I  endeavour 


b  UNCONVERTED    MEN 

to  hold  up  to  your  view  the  truth  which  God  himself 
teaches  in  relation  to  your  present  condition  and  fu- 
ture prospects,  you  will  be  led  to  adopt  the  full  and 
fixed  determination  that  you  will  henceforth  be  on  the 
Lord's  side. 

I  have  selected  the  text  for  the  purpose  of  exhibit- 
ing the  simple  truth  that  all  men,  previous  to  spirit- 
ual regeneration,  are  in  a  state  of  insensibility  from 
which  they  must  be  awakened  before  the  gospel  can 
bless  or  save  them.  The  unwillingness  men  feel  to 
believe  this,  is  of  itself  a  strong  proof  of  its  truth.  I 
will  endeavour  to  illustrate  this  remark. 

Were  one  to  knock  at  your  door  in  the  stillness  of 
midnight,  uttering  the  piercing  cry,  ''  that  your  house 
was  on  fire — that  the  flames  were  bursting  from  its 
roof — and  that  you  must  escape  instantly,  or  perish," 
you  would  not  listen  to  this  unterrified  and  uncon- 
cerned :  belief,  in  spite  of  all  your  Avishes  to  the  con- 
trary, would  force  itself  upon  your  mind. 

The  wintry  winds  without,  might  be  chill  and 
piercing;  the  repose  of  your  warm  couch  might  be 
very  grateful ;  and  you  might  feel  very  reluctant  to 
leave  your  sheltered  and  comfortable  position  to  en- 
counter the  rude  blasts  of  the  midnight  storm.  But 
all  these  considerations  would  not  lead  you  to  con- 
clude, without  examination,  that  the  alarm  which  had 
been  sounded  in  your  ear  was  a  false  one.  In  this 
case,  without  waiting  to  reason  about  the  matter,  you 
would  instantly  start  from  your  couch,  and  rush  forth 
from  your  dwelling. 

I  was  once  present  in  the  midst  of  a  very  crowded 
assembly,  where  a  venerable  ambassador  of  Christ 
was  speaking  of  the  deep  things  of  God.     Such  was 


ARE   ASLEEP.  7 

the  power  of  his  argument,  and  so  sweet  and  mellow 
were  the  tones  of  his  voice,  that  he  held  every  eye  and 
ear  enchained.  At  length,  as  he  paused,  a  person  arose 
in  the  gallery  and  said,  '^  This  house  is  on  fire — and 
if  we  save  ourselves,  we  must  get  out  as  fast  as  we  can." 
What  do  you  think  was  the  effect  of  this  announce- 
ment upon  that  audience,  in  which  there  had  prevail- 
ed almost  unbreathing  stillness '?  Do  you  imagine 
that  they  sat  quiet  in  their  seats,  saying  to  them- 
selves, "  This  must  be  a  mistake.  We  do  not  see 
the  fire  :  We  do  not  hear  the  cracking  of  the  flames  : 
We  will  not  move  till  we  have  some  better  evi- 
dence that  we  are  in  danger  V  No  :  They  did 
not  reason  thus.  There  was  an  instant  rush  to 
the  door.  Terror,  and  alarm,  and  confusion,  were 
spread  through  the  whole  house.  And  though  many 
voices  now  proclaimed,  ''  This  is  a  false  alarm — 
we  are  in  no  danger," — every  individual  was  press- 
ing forward,  alone  intent  upon  making  his  escape 
from  this  supposed  scene  of  danger. 

There  was  a  man  of  God,  whose  spirit  has  now 
gone  to  mingle  in  the  glorified  throng  before  the 
throne,  who  once  stood  in  this  pulpit — whom  you  all 
knew,  and  respected,  and  loved  ;  and  whose  veracity 
you  never  doubted.  He  opened  the  sacred  volume, 
and  read  from  its  hallowed  page,  the  warrant  which 
authorized  him  to  declare,  in  reference  to  every  one 
of  you  that  were  unconverted, — ''  That  there  was  but 
a  hand's  breadth  between  you  and  the  devouring 
flames  of  divine  wrath — that  you  stood  tliat  very  mo- 
ment on  the  crumbling  edge  of  the  burning  pit," — 
and  yet  there  was  no  movement  in  the  audience  that 
sat  before  him.     There  was  no  instantaneous  con- 


8  UNCONVERTED   MEN 

cern — no  alarm  running  from  mind  to  mind  through 
the  ranks  of  the  unconverted. 

Why,  I  inquire,  do  we  find  this  difference  in  men's 
readiness  to  believe  reports  concerning  the  approach 
of  temporal  and  spiritual  evils — this  difference  in 
their  sensibility  to  physical  and  spiritual  danger  1  It 
is  because  impenitent  men  are  asleep. 

What  Elijah  said  to  the  prophets  of  Baal  as  they 
stood  in  the  presence  of  all  Israel  on  Mount  Carmel, 
around  the  altar  of  their  false  God,  vociferously  call- 
ing upon  him  to  send  down  fire  to  consume  their 
sacrifice,  is,  in  a  figurative  sense,  indisputably  true  of 
every  human  creature  while  in  an  unrenevv^ed  state — 
'^  he  sleepeth.^^  And  before  we  can  do  anything  for 
the  salvation  of  any  one  of  our  race,  there  must  be 
done  for  him  what  Elijah  told  the  worshippers  of 
Baal  they  must  do  for  their  God — ''he  must  he  awaked.^  ^ 

''  He  sleepeth  and  must  be  awaked ^^^  is  the  axiom 
with  which  we  must  start  in  every  attempt  we  put 
forth  to  "  convert  a  sinner  from  the  error  of  his  way.^^ 
The  natural  state  of  man  is  fitly  represented  by  the 
figurative  language  of  the  text — "  thou  that  steepest. ^^ 
This  metaphor  is  frequently  employed  in  the  Scrip- 
tures to  describe  the  state  and  condition  of  unrenewed 
man.  Upon  them,  according  to  the  divine  testimony, 
''  there  hath  heen  poured  the  spirit  of  deep  sleep. ^^  To 
them  it  is  said,  "  It  is  high  time  to  awake  out  of 
sleep J^^  and  in  the  text  they  are  thus  addressed — 
"  Awake  thou  that  steepest. ^^ 

1.  I  remark,  that  this  figurative  language  implies, 
Firsts  that  natural  and  unrenewed  men  are  in  a  state 
of  insensibility , 


ARE   ASLEEP.  9 

When  men's  senses  are  locked  np  in  sleep,  they 
become  insensible  to  the  external  objects  around  them. 
Present  to  the  man  that  is  asleep  the' most  finished 
and  beautiful  picture ;  introduce  into  his  chamber 
some  of  the  most  splendid  paintings  that  were  ever 
spread  on  the  canvass,  and  he  will  be  just  as  insensi- 
ble to  their  beauties  as  though  they  were  not  there. 
Approach  the  bedside  of  him  who  is  asleep,  and 
bending  over,  whisper  into  his  ear  intelligence  of  the 
most  deep  and  thrilling  interest ;  bring  in  a  choir  of 
musicians,  and  let  them  play  the  most  pleasing  tunes, 
and  wake  up  strains  of  melody  sweeter  than  were 
ever  heard  on  earth — sweet  as  heaven's  own  minstrel- 
sy— and  the  sleeping  man  cares  for  none  of  these 
things — he  hears  nothing — he  is  entirely  insensible  to 
every  sound. 

Unconverted  men  are  in  the  same  manner  insensi- 
ble to  spiritual  things.     "  Awake  thou  that  steepest. ^"^ 

2.  Again  I  remark,  that  this  figurative  language 
implies,  Secondly^  that  natural  and  unrenewed  men 
are  labouring  under  deep  mental  delusion.  The  man 
who  is  asleep  has  an  intellectual  principle  within  him 
still  awake.  Images  which  in  his  waking  hours  were 
gathered  from  the  external  world,  and  broken  and 
disjointed  recollections  of  the  past,  are  constantly  flit- 
ting before  his  mind.  Reason,  however,  no  longer 
sits  at  the  balance-wheel.  Imagination  occupies  her 
seat,  and  Fancy,  now  unrestrained,  leads  tlie  wander- 
ing mind  on  through  all  her  varied  and  fantastic 
fields.  A  thousand  imaginary  scenes  of  joy  and  of 
wo  start  up  before  us,  and  exert  upon  our  feelings 
and  belief,  for  a  time,  all  the  influence  of  vivid  and 
1* 


10  UNCONVERTED   MEN 

visible  realities.  Our  hopes  are  elevated,  and  we  are 
raised  to  the  highest  ecstacies  of  joy.  We  laugh  and 
sing,  and  feel  that  we  are  treading  the  Elysian  fields 
of  unearthly  delight.  But  in  a  moment  our  hopes  are 
dashed  to  the  ground  !  Some  sudden  calamity  befals 
us :  the  heavens  grow  dark.  Bleak  desolation  is 
spread  over  all  our  path  !  We  weep ;  the  tears  roll 
down  our  cheeks ;  we  feel  all  the  bitterness  of  wo. 
Our  grief  is  more  intense  than  we  can  endure  !  We 
awake,  and  lo  !  it  was  a  dream  !  We  had  all  this 
time  been  elated  and  agitated  by  something  unreal — 
hy  a  delusion. 

And  so  it  is  with  impenitent  and  unrenewed  men. 
"  They  are  walking  in  a  vain  show — and  disquieting 
themselves  in  vain.^^  If  not  before,  lohen  death  comes 
to  lay  his  iron  hand  upon  them,  and  hurry  them  for- 
ward into  the  invisible  world — they  will  then  wake 
up,  and  find  that  the^^  have  been  dreaming  all  their 
days — chasing  phantoms,  neglecting  things  of  eternal 
moment,  and  grasping  at  that  which  is  unreal  and 
imaginary. 

The  scriptural  truth  taught  in  our  text,  then,  is  that 
impenitent  and  unrenewed  men  are  in  a  state  of  insen- 
sihility  and  delusion^  and  that  nothing  can  be  done 
to  save  them,  till  they  are  awakened. 

I  shall  confine  myself  this  evening  to  the  illustra- 
tion of  the  first  point — to  wit :  that  unrenewed  men 
are  in  a  state  of  spiritual  insensibility  and  delusion, 

1.  Unconverted  men  are  insensible  to  the  goodness  of  God. 
Though  created  with  large  capacities  and  susceptibi- 
lities of  happiness — and  placed  in  the  midst  of  a  scene 


ARE  ASLEEP.  H 

of  things  where  everything- administers  to  their  enjoy- 
ment, the  Language  of  murmuring  and  discontent  con- 
stantly falls  from  their  lips.  Though  it  is  God's  sun 
that  shines  upon  them — his  earth  upon  which  they 
tread — his  air  which  they  breathe — his  table  from 
which  they  are  fed — and  his  hand  that  continually 
upholds  them  :  Though  he  is  ever  near  them — 
Avatching  over  them  with  more  than  maternal  ten- 
derness— scattering  blessings  all  along  their  path — 
and  kindly  ministering  to  all  their  wants  :  Though 
''  in  him  they  live,  and  move,  and  have  their  be- 
ing," yet  their  hearts  are  no  more  affected  by  this 
view  of  God's  goodness,  than  if  all  these  things  were 
the  result  of  accident  and  chance  !  In  proof  of  this, 
when  God  calls  upon  them  by  his  word  and  minis- 
ters, to  give  him  their  hearts,  and  render  to  him  uni- 
versal obedience — they  say,  if  not  with  their  li^,  yet 
by  their  conduct,  "  Who  is  the  Lord,  that  I  should 
obey  his  voice  ?  I  know  not  the  Lord,  neither  will  I 
answer  to  this  call."  Though  God  from  the  highest 
heaven  is  pouring  down  countless  blessings  upon 
them,  their  hearts  are  no  more  moved  by  a  view  of 
those  mercies,  than  if  they  were  made  of  stone^ 
Though  they  have  soundness  of  limbs,  and  health 
of  body,  they  feel  under  no  particular  obligation  to 
God  for  this.  Though  they  have  wealth,  and  friends, 
and  reputation,  and  great  prosperity,  and  every  world- 
ly blessing,  they  do  not  look  upon  themselves  as  at  all 
indebted  to  God  for  these.  They  may  tell  you,  that 
they  feel  thankful  for  these  blessings — by  which  they 
mean  no  more  than  that  they  are  very  glad  that  they 
have  them. 

In  view  of  these  temporal  blessings,  they  are  ready 


12  UNCONVERTED   MEN 

to  exult,  and  with  much  self-complacency  to  conclude, 
that  they  are  the  favourites  of  the  Most  High.  But  let 
Jehovah  put  forth  his  hand  and  touch  all  that  they 
have,  and  they  will  curse  him  to  his  face.  Let  ca- 
lamity and  temporal  reverses  sweep  away  their  for- 
tune— let  the  billows  of  adversity  roll  over  them, — 
and  their  mouths  will  be  immediately  filled  with 
murmurings  and  repinings. 

I  once  knew  an  unconverted  man,  that  said  and 
thought  that  he  was  very  thankful  for  the  mer- 
cies he  enjoyed,  and  that  no  one  loved  God  more  than 
he.  At  this  time  the  sun  of  prosperity  shone  brightly 
on  him.  His  health  was  firm,  and  he  rolled  in  Avealth. 
He  was  respected  and  loved  by  all.  His  children, 
healthful  and  promising,  were  ''  like  olive  branches 
round  about  his  table."  But  in  the  midst  of  this  pros- 
perity a  storm  gathered.  A  series  of  calamities  overtook 
him.  He  was  stripped  in  a  short  time  of  all  his  glo- 
ry. His  property  took  to  itself  wings,  and  flew  away. 
His  children  one  after  another  went  down  to  the  grave. 
He  had  a  son  of  uncommon  promise.  In  the  early 
developments  of  his  mind,  that  son  had  given  indi- 
cations of  surpassing  genius.  He  was  now  just  ripen- 
ing into  manhood,  when  disease  suddenly  came  upon 
him,  and  he  fell  beneath  the  blight  of  death. 

He  had  one  idol  still  left,  a  lovely  daughter,  whose 
face  was  ever  lit  up  with  the  sunshine  of  happiness, 
and  who  seemed  to  be  a  creature  of  almost  unearthly 
origin.  But  soon  the  arrow  of  death  pierced  her 
graceful  form,  and  she  sank  down  into  the  grave* 
This  was  the  hour  of  trial.  And  it  was  the  hour 
that  put  to  flight  all  evidences  of  any  just  appreciation 
in  the  bosom  of  that  unconverted  man,  of  the  good- 


ARE    ASLEEP.  13 

ness  of  God.  His  mouth  was  filled  with  complaints, 
and  his  heart  with  hard  thoughts  against  God.  He 
felt  in  his  inmost  soul,  while  he  looked  over  the  sad 
desolation  of  his  house — that  God  had  done  wrong. 

The  truth  was,  there  never  had  been  in  his  mind  a 
full  conviction  that  all  the  comforts  he  enjoyed  were 
the  gifts  of  sovereign  mercy,  and  that  he  was  altoge- 
ther undeserving  of  them.  He  had  never  been  led,  by 
a  view  of  the  mercies  he  enjoyed,  to  prostrate  himself 
at  the  feet  of  Jehovah,  and  say,  ''  I  am  not  worthy  of 
the  least  of  all  the  mercies  which  thou  hast  shown 
unto  me." — '^  What  shall  I  render  unto  the  Lord  for 
all  his  benefits  towards  me?" — ^'  Eternal  God,  I  give 
myself  up  to  thee — it  is  my  duty,  and  it  shall  be  my 
pleasure  to  obey  and  serve  thee." — "  Lord,  what  wilt 
thou  have  me  to  do?" 

Unconverted  men  have  no  such  view  of  the  good- 
ness of  God,  and  are  not  led  to  any  such  acknowledg- 
ment of  their  obligations  to  Him  as  this.  When  they 
look  over  the  broad  field  of  the  Almighty's  works,  and 
see  what  He  is  doing  for  the  good  of  the  universe, 
they  sometimes  feel  awakened  within  them  a  touch 
of  sentimental  gratitude  ;  but  in  a  moment  it  evapo- 
rates, and  leaves  their  heart  as  much  at  enmity  with 
Him  as  it  was  before. 

The  view  which  they  have  of  God's  goodness  does 
not  lead  them  to  repentance — does  not  subdue  the  pride 
of  their  hearts — does  not  lead  them  to  retire  to  their 
closets  and  pour  out  their  soul  in  prayer  before  Him 
— does  not  lead  them  to  forsake  and  hate  sin,  and 
realize  the  obligations  of  duty. 

Another  evidence  that  unconverted  men  are  insensi- 
ble to  the  goodness  of  God,  is,  that  ^*  He  is  not  in  all  their 


14  UNCONVERTED  MEN 

thoughts*"  They  seldom  think  of  God,  and  when 
the  thought  of  Him  comes  into  their  minds  they  imme- 
diately direct  their  attention  to  something  else — that 
they  may  think  of  him  as  little  as  possible.  This  is 
not  the  way  they  act  towards  their  fellow-men  who 
have  done  them  some  distinguished  act  of  kindness. 
Let  one  of  their  fellow-men  do  one  thousandth  part  as 
much  for  them,  as  God  has  done,  and  they  would 
think  and  talk  more  of  that  man  in  a  week,  than  they 
have  ever  thought  or  talked  of  God  in  all  their  lives. 
This  shoAVs  that  they  are  insensible  to  the  goodness  of 
God,     They  are  "  asleep.''^ 

2.  I  remark.  Secondly,  That  men  are  insensible  to 
the  claims  of  Godh  laws. 

God  is  the  sovereign  legislator  of  the  universe. 
'^  For  his  pleasure  all  things  are  and  were  created." 
Jehovah  was  under  no  obligation  to  call  man  into  be- 
ing. Had  he  chose,  he  could,  without  any  injustice 
to  us,  have  left  all  our  race  to  have  slumbered  for 
ever  in  non-existence.  Having  called  us  into  be- 
ing, he  certainly  had  a  right  to  tell  us  for  what  he 
created  us,  and  to  require  us  to  fulfil  that  end.  This 
he  did  when  he  gave  us  a  law  for  the  regulation  of 
our  conduct.  That  law  was  simply  an  expression  of 
his  will  and  wishes  in  reference  to  us. 

When  parents  tell  their  children  what  their  wishes 
are  in  reference  to  their  conduct,  if  those  children  are 
amiable  and  affectionate,  and  have  any  respect  for 
parental  authority,  they  will  endeavour  to  follow  the 
intimations  they  have  received. 

Under  how  much  greater  obligations  are  mankind 
to  respect,  and  reverence,  and  obey  the  law  of  God  ! 


ARE  ASLEEP.  15 

From  Him  they  receive  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things. 
They  are  dependent  on  Him  every  instant  for  being. 
With  one  breath  he  could  send  them  all  back  to  anni- 
hilation. The  law  He  has  promulgated  for  the  regu- 
lation of  their  conduct,  is  pure,  and  holy,  and  good — 
Calculated  alike  to  promote  their  own  happiness,  and 
to  reflect  honour  upon  the  author  of  their  being. 

Now,  unconverted  men  are  insensible,  to  the  claims 
of  this  good  and  holy  law.  It  requires  them  to  love 
God  with  all  their  hearts.  They  do  not  love  him 
thus,  neither  can  they  see  how  they  are  very  great 
sinners  for  neglecting  to  do  so.  How  great  is  their 
delusion  ! 

This  laic  says  :  ''  Thou  shalt  Avorship  the  Lord  thy 
God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve."  Unconverted 
men  live  without  prayer.  If  they  draw  near  God,  it 
is  only  with  their  lips,  while  their  hearts  are  far  from 
Him.  They  have  no  family  altar.  They  have  no 
secret  place  in  their  dwelling  to  which  they  daily  re- 
tire to  pour  out  their  hearts  in  supplication  before  the 
mercy  seat.  They  live  in  the  constant  violation  of 
this  law.  Their  thoughts,  and  affections,  and  desires, 
are  entirely  given  to  business,  and  pleasure,  and  world- 
ly objects  and  pursuits.  They  neither  w^orship  nor 
serve  God — and  yet  they  do  not  think  that  they  are 
very  sinful.     Oh,  great  is  their  delusion  ! 

This  law  says,  "  Remember  the  Sabbath  day,  and 
keep  it  holy." 

Unconverted  men  often  spend  the  Sabbath  day  in 
unhallowed  pursuits — in  travelling — in  visiting — in 
reading  works  of  fiction — or  the  news  of  the  day — or 
while  away  the  time  in  light  and  trifling  conversation. 
And  yet  after  they  have  thus  deliberately  trampled 


16  UNCONVERTED  MEN 

upon  one  of  those  holy  precepts  which  God  wrote 
with  His  own  finger  upon  the  table  of  stone,  they  are 
astonished  if  the  minister  of  Christ  addresses  them  as 
great  sinners. 

The  divine  law  declares,  ''  God  now  commandeth 
all  men  everywhere  to  repent."  ''  Behold  now  is 
the  accepted  time."  "  To-day,  if  ye  will  hear  his 
voice,  harden  not  your  hearts." 

Unconverted  men  listen  to  this — and  either  form  no 
resolution  whatever  to  repent  at  all,  or  deliberately 
conclude  to  postpone  their  repentance  to  a  future  or 
dying  hour. 

Thus  we  might  go  on  through  the  whole  circle  of 
human  duty,  and  we  should  find  that  in  every  in- 
stance where  inclination  runs  counter  to  the  divine  com- 
mand, unconverted  men  follow  inclination  rather  than 
the  law  of  God.  Independently  of  public  sentiment, 
and  of  the  fear  of  punishment  in  general,  they  have  no 
respect  for  the  divine  law.  They  are  insensible  to 
its  claims.  They  do  not  stop  on  the  threshold  of 
transgression,  and  say,  '-'  How  can  I  do  this  great 
wickedness,  and  sin  against  God  !" 

Take  aAvay  the  law  of  the  land — let  there  be  no 
temporal  punishment  for  crime — annihilate  public 
sentiment — let  it  be  just  as  respectable  to  commit 
gross  sin  as  to  avoid  it — let  there  be  nothing  but  the 
law  of  God  to  hedge  in  the  path  of  human  duty,  and 
the  restraints  of  that  law  would  be  to  unconverted 
men,  in  the  hour  of  temptation,  as  frail  as  a  fence  of 
gossamer,  which  a  single  breath  would  sweep  away. 

Unconverted  men  are  living  in  daily  disobedience 
to  the  commands  of  God.  They  feel  no  sorrow  on 
account  of  this  disobedience:   and  the  only  reason 


ARE  ASLEEP.  17 

why  they  do  not  go  to  greater  lengths  in  sin  is,  either 
because  they  have  no  inclination  to  particular  vices, 
or  they  are  restrained  from  gratifying  those  inclina- 
tions either  by  a  fear  of  the  penalties  of  the  civil  law  ; 
or,  because  public  sentiment  would  frown  on  them ; 
or,  because  they  think  those  indulgences  would  be 
hurtful  to  their  health — their  temporal  interest — their 
families,  or  their  own  reputation.  It  is  not  because 
they  dislike  to  displease  Jehovah,  or  have  such  a  high 
respect  for  his  law,  that  they  abstain  from  sin. 
Where  these  worldly  considerations  do  not  operate, 
they  are  constantly  trampling  upon  his  law ;  and 
yet  they  cannot  understand  how  they  are  great  sin- 
ners. 

Does  not  all  this  bespeak  a  total  alienation  from 
God — a  blindness  and  delusion  and  insensibility  that 
are  most  appalling  ?  What  could  be  in  more  perfect 
contrast  with  the  views,  and  feelings,,  and  conduct  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  heavenly  world  !  There  is 
not  a  being  on  the  Empyrean  mount  of  God,  that 
would  think  of  acting  contrary  to  the  slightest  inti- 
mation of  God's  will.  Any  one  of  the  vast  myriads 
that  crowd  the  fields  of  celestial  light,  would  sooner 
think  of  plunging  down  into  the  pit  of  everlasting 
torment,  than  of  disobeying  God  in  the  least  thing. 
And  )^et  unconverted  men  deliberately  and  know- 
ingly disobey  God — break  his  holy  law — and  that 
every  hour — and  still  they  do  not  think  that  they  are 
great  sinners  !  Oh,  how  insensible  unconverted  men 
are  to  the  claims  of  God's  law !     ''They  are  asleep,^^ 

3.  I  remark.  Thirdly,  That  unconverted  men  are  in- 
sensible to  their  actual  situation  as  condemned  criminals 
before  God, 


18  UNCONVERTED  MEN 

The  divine  law  cannot  be  broken  with  impunity. 
It  is  enforced  by  the  most  awful  sanctions.  Its  lan- 
guage isj  '^  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in 
all  things  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them." 
''  The  soul  that  sinneth — it  shall  die." 

The  gospel  and  our  OAvn  consciences  declare  that 
''  We  have  all  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of 
God."  We  are  therefore  all  under  condemnation 
and  death.  Christ  has  opened  a  door  of  escape — and 
those  who  flee  to  him  by  faith,  are  delivered  from 
condemnation.  But  unconverted  men  will  not  flee 
to  Christ — they  will  not  lay  hold  of  his  offers  of  mercy 
by  faith.  And  hence  the  Scriptures  declare  in  refe- 
rence to  this  want  of  faith  in  unconverted  men,  that 
"  He  that  believeth  not  is  condemned  already,-'^  Let  us 
pause  for  a  moment  and  weigh  the  meaning  of  this 
expression. 

A  man  is  arrested  for  crime.  He  is  brought  to  trial 
— the  charges  preferred  against  him  are  substantiated 
— he  is  found  guilty,  and  sentence  of  death  is  pro- 
nounced upon  him.  After  the  judge  has  pronounced 
the  sentence,  the  prisoner  is  sent  back  to  his  gloomy 
cell  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  appointed  hour,  when 
he  will  be  brought  forth  and  executed.  We  might 
say   of  such  an  one,    ''he  is  condemned  already. ^^ 

And  what  would  you  think,  were  you  to  go  to  the 
cell  of  this  prisoner,  thus  under  sentence  of  death,  and 
find  that  he  was  careless  of  his  fate  ?  Would  it  not 
shock  you  to  see  him,  gay,  and  light,  and  trifling  1 
And  in  speaking  of  him,  would  you  not  say,  "  That 
man  is  awfully  insensible  to  his  situation  !  " 

Now  let  us  look  into  society,  and  see  if  we  do  not 
find  something  analogous  to  this. 


ARE  ASLEEP.  19 

All  unconverted  men  are  under  sentence  of  con- 
demnation.    They   are    condemned   already.     They 
are  only  waiting  till  death  shall  conduct  them  to  the 
place  of  execution.     The  pit  is  already  gaping  to  re- 
ceive them  !     And  yet  how  do  they  act,  and   live  ? 
Why  they  are  dancing  along  the  road  to  the  place  of 
their  execution,  merry  and  unconcerned  as  men  going 
to  a  feast !    Bound  to  the  fiery  pit,  and  travelling  there 
as  fast  as  their  feet  can  carry  them,   they  laugh  and 
sing,  and  wonder  why   Christians  can  feel  so  much 
anxiety  about  them  !     Covered  with  guilt,  and  under 
condemnation,  they  are  flattering  themselves  that  all 
will  be  well  with  them  in  the  end!  Oh,  what  miserable 
delusion  is  this  !    Look  into  tVie  theatre — the  ball-room 
— the  gilded  saloons  of  pleasure — filled  with  uncon- 
verted men  and  women — with  those  who  are  under 
sentence  of  condemnation — those  who  have  not  been 
born  again — have  not  believed    on    the    Lord   Jesus 
Christ,  and,  therefore,  upon  whom  abideth  the  wrath 
of  God — do  they  act  as  though  they  were  sensible  of 
this?     Oh,  how  awfully  insensible  men  are  to  their 
situation  ! 

Look  into  the  factory — the  work-shop — the  market 
— the  exchange  :  behold  what  crowds  of  unconverted 
men  under  sentence  of  condenmation,  are  intent  only 
upon  wealth,  pleasure,  honour,  or  applause  ! 

Or  look  even  into  the  temple  of  the  Most  High — 
where  a  fearful  proj^ortion  of  the  auditors  will  be 
found  to  be  in  an  unconverted  state,  and  therefore 
under  condemnation.  And  yet  how  little  impressed 
are  they  by  all  the  solemn  truths  addressed  to  them  ! 
No  one  who  reflects  for  a  moment,  can  call  in  question 
the  truth  of  the  position  that  unconverted  men  are 


20  UNCONVERTED    MEN 

insensible  to  their  actual  situation  as  condemned  cri- 
minals before  God. 

4.  I  remark,  Fourthly^  That  unconverted  men  are 
insensible  to  the  awful  truth ^  that  while  they  remain 
unconverted  they  are  every  moment  advancing  in  the 
downward  path  to  death. 

The  Saviour  distinctly  declares,  that  in  the  things 
of  religion,  there  is  no  neutral  ground  upon  which 
any  human  being  can  stand.  "  He  that  is  not  with 
me,  is  against  me."  Every  man  is  either  the  friend 
or  the  enemy  of  God.  There  are  only  two  paths  in 
which  the  whole  human  family  are  travelling  on  to 
the  eternal  world.  The  one  leads  to  heaven — the 
other  to  hell !  Every  unconverted  man  is  in  the 
path  that  leads  to  the  burning  pit.  He  does  not  stop 
for  a  moment,  but  goes  forward  continually.  Every 
step  he  takes  conducts  him  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
fatal  edge,  from  w^hich  he  w^ill  make  the  final  ever- 
lasting plunge  ! 

And  yet  how  blind  to  this  awful  truth  are  uncon- 
verted men !  They  believe  that,  in  some  way  or  other, 
they  w^ill  be  finally  saved.  They  attempt  a  little  ex- 
ternal reformation,  and  then  flatter  themselves  that  all 
is  w^ell.  Many  of  them  do  not  go  so  far  as  to  commence 
even  an  external  reformation — but  merely  resolve  to 
do  so  at  some  future  period.  With  this  they  soothe 
their  consciences,  and  persuade  themselves  that  there 
is  no  occasion  for  present  anxiet}^  They  forget  that 
every  moment  they  continue  in  a  state  of  impenitence 
and  alienation  from  God,  they  are  ^'treasuring  up 
wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath,  and  the  revelation  ot 
the  righteous  judgment  of  God."     They  lose   sight 


ARE    ASLEEP.  21 

of  the  solemn  truth,  "  that  they  that  are  in  the  flesh 
cannot  please  God ; "  and  that  Jehovah  has  said,  with  a 
deep  emphasis,  "Ye  must  he  born  again. ^^  While, 
therefore,  they  are  only  advancing  in  the  downward 
path,  and  will  continue  to  advance,  till  they  are 
cleansed  with  the  hlood  of  sprinkling  and  are  born 
from  on  high,  they  are  flattering  themselves  that  they 
are  growing  better,  and  are  ripening  for  heaven. 

5.  I  remark,  Fifthly^  That  u7iconverted  men  are  in- 
sensible to  "  the  terrors  of  the  Lord.''^ 

God  declares  that.  He  "  will  by  no  means  acquit  the 
guilty," — that  "  the  soul  that  sinneth  shall  die," — 
that  "  the  wages  of  sin  is  death," — that  "  the  wicked 
shall  be  turned  into  hell," — that  ''  he  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  damned," — that  He  "  will  pour  out  in- 
dignation and  wrath,  tribulation  and  anguish,  upon 
every  soul  of  man  that  doeth  evil," — that  "  they  that 
obey  not  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  shall 
be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction  from  His 
presence  and  the  glory  of  His  powder." 

The  Scriptures  declare,  that  at  death  the  wicked 
will  sink  down  into  a  burning  pit — into  inextinguish- 
able fires,  where  there  is  weeping,  and  wailing,  and 
gnashing  of  teeth.  If  a  temporal  calamity  half  as 
terrific  as  this  were  threatened,  no  arguments  would 
be  necessary  to  persuade  men  to  flee  for  their  lives. 
Let  the  angel  of  destruction  come  down  and  roll 
the  cloud  of  death  over  this  city — let  him  shake  pesti- 
lence from  his  sable  wings — and  the  report  once  go 
forth — let  the  unseen  fatal  contagion  creep  from  street 
to  street — and  how  many  hours  would  elapse  before 
the  whole  city  would  be  in  commotion  ?      Though 


22  UNCONVERTED    MEN 

all  the  physicians  here  should  Imite  in  their  tes- 
timony, that  there  was  as  much  safety  in  remaining" 
as  in  attempting  to  fly  from  the  pestilence,  who 
would  be  persuaded  to  stay  while  death  was  riot- 
ing upon  hundreds  every  hour  ?  But  should  all  the 
medical  corps  solemnly  declare,  that  they  could  do 
nothing  to  arrest  the  progress  of  this  deadly  plague — 
that  the  only  safety  was  in  instant  flight — that  it  would 
unquestionably  enter  every  dwelling,  and  cut  down 
every  being  that  lingered  within  the  precincts  of  the 
city — where  is  the  man  that  would  not  heed  this  warn- 
ing 1  In  such  a  case  all  would  feel — all  would  attempt 
to  fly  from  the  grasp  of  the  destroyer. 

But  unconverted  men  hear  God  himself  declaring, 
by  his  word,  that  there  is  but  a  hair's  breadth  between 
them  and  the  devouring  flames  of  Almighty  wrath, 
and  feel  no  alarm  !  They  hear  this,  and  remain  just 
as  unconcerned,  as  though  it  was  an  idle  tale.  Oh, 
how  insensible  they  are  to  "  the  terror  of  the  Lord  !  " 
They  are  asleep, 

6.  A  gain  ^  I  remark.  That  unconverted  men  are  in- 
sensible to  the  love  of  Christ — to  the  claims  of  the  Gos- 
pel— to  the  overtures  of  pardon  and  life,  through  the 
blood  of  the  cross. 

Had  one  of  our  countrymen,  who  at  home  had  been 
nursed  in  the  lap  of  ease,  in  making  a  voyage  to  the 
Indies,  been  shipwrecked,  and  cast  with  life  just  re- 
maining upon  a  barbarous  shore — had  he  there  been 
seized  upon  by  a  merciless  master — reduced  to  the 
most  degrading  servitude,  and  forced  to  perform  the 
most  menial  offices,  while  he  was  allowed  food  scarcely 
sufficient  to  keep  him  alive ; — and  had  the  news  of 


ARE    ASLEEP.  23 

this  come  to  his  friends,  and  had  they  sent  one  to  ran- 
som him  from  this  bondage,  and  should  this  friend, 
who  had  gone  out  on  this  errand  of  mercy,  meet  him 
on  the  burning  desert,  where  he  was  dragged  along 
in  the  train  of  a  cruel  Arab — and  having  negotiated 
for  his  redemption,  announce  to  him  tliat  he  was  free, 
how  would  he  receive  these  tidings '?  Would  this  en- 
slaved, down-trodden  son  of  freedom  listen  to  this  in- 
telligence with  apathy  and  indifference  1  Would  he 
turn  away  with  cold  and  careless  neglect  from  this 
friend  who  had  come  to  search  him  out,  and  to  redeem 
him  from  bondage  1  No  !  no.  This  is  not  the  way 
in  which  men  act  under  such  circumstances.  But 
it  is  precisely  the  way  in  which  unconverted  men 
act,  when  they  are  told  of  the  redemption  that  is  in 
Christ. 

In  the  case  just  referred  to,  had  the  cruel  Arab  mas- 
ter refused  to  let  this  unfortunate  shipwrecked  man 
go — refused  to  accept  any  sum  for  his  ransom,  and 
had  the  news  of  this  been  carried  back  to  his  native 
land — and  were  one,  whom  he  had  greatly  injured,  so 
affected  by  the  story  of  his  sufferings,  as  to  sell  all 
that  he  had,  in  order  to  try  to  redeem  him — should 
he  start  in  quest  of  him,  carrying  all  that  he  was 
wortli,  and  when  he  had  found  him,  and  offered  to 
the  cruel  master  that  held  him  enslaved,  all  his  estate 
for  his  ransom  :  and  when  it  was  refused,  should  he 
offer  to  take  the  place  of  this  enslaved  one — wear  his 
chains,  and  bid  an  eternal  adieu  to  country  and  home 
on  condition  that  he  could  be  released,  how  would 
the  heart  of  that  enslaved  one  be  affected  by  this  won- 
derful, unparalleled  act  of  kindness  ?  Oh  !  how  big 
would  be  the  emotions  that  Avould  dwell  in  his  bosom 


24  UNCONVERTED    MEN 

at  this  moment  !     He  could  not  be  insensible  to  such 
a  display  of  kindness. 

And  yet  Jesus  Christ  has  done  all,  and  more  than 
this,  for  sinners.  He  has  died  for  the  ungodly.  He 
has  died  to  ransom  from  death  eternal  and  the  power 
of  hell,  the  unconverted  who  have  done  nothing  but 
injure  him  all  their  lives.  But  unconverted  men  are 
not  in  the  least  affected  by  this  intelligence.  They 
hear  it  with  the  most  fixed  apathy.  Though  descend- 
ing with  fearful  celerity  down  to  the  chambers  of 
death,  where  they  will  enter  upon  an  eternal  bond- 
age, and  no  ransom  will  ever  come  to  deliver  them, 
they  heed  not  the  overtures  of  mercy,  they  turn  a  deaf 
ear  to  the  invitations  of  the  Gospel,  they  care  not  for 
the  love  or  the  sufferings  of  Christ.  They  listen  to 
the  offers  of  pardon  and  life,  as  though  these  were 
matters  with  which  they  had  no  concern.  Oh,  how 
true  it  is  that  unconverted  men  are  asleep  ! 

7.  Finally,  I  remark.  That  unconverted  men  are  in- 
sensible to  the  solemn  realities  of  death,  judgment  and 
eternity, 

A  voice  comes  from  all  nature  around  us,  as  well 
as  from  the  pages  of  God's  word,  proclaiming  that 
WE  MUST  DIE.  Not  a  day  passes  but  this  voice  sounds 
in  our  ear ;  and  this  solemn  truth  is  brought  vividly 
to  our  recollection.  Nearly  half  the  people  that  we 
used  to  meet  ten  years  ago  in  the  engagements  of 
business,  and  at  the  house  of  God,  are  now  in  their 
graves.  What  an  immense  congregation  would  be 
here,  if  all  who  once  moved  around  with  us  amid  the 
circles  of  the  living,  but  now  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the 
earth,  were  present  at  this  time  !     Though  we  should 


ARE    ASLEEP.  25 

all  retire  to  give  them  room,  this  house  would  not  con- 
tain half  the  number  !  And  how  soon  shall  we — how 
soon  will  all  that  now  live,  join  that  vast  congregation 
of  the  dead  ! 

But  this  thought  makes  no  impression  upon  the 
minds  of  unconverted  men.  One  and  another  drops 
around  them,  and  goes  to  the  retributions  of  eternity. 
But  they  heed  it  not. 

Their  attention  is  continually  directed  to  that  awful 
judgment  seat,  before  which  they  must  shortly  stand, 
and  to  that  immeasurable  eternity,  whose  ages  will 
never  end,  and  where  the  soul  is  fixed  in  a  state  un- 
changeable and  everlasting, — and  yet  they  immediate- 
ly thrust  these  thoughts  out  of  their  minds,  and  amuse 
themselves  with  the  passing  shadows  that  flit  before 
them.  When  they  see  their  friends,  one  after  another, 
going  down  to  the  grave,  they  drop  a  tear  or  two  over 
their  coffin ;  seriousness  may,  for  a  moment,  come  over 
their  minds  ;  but  soon  the  impression  fades  away,  and 
they  go  on  just  as  thoughtless  and  as  unconcerned  as 
before.  Is  it  not  evident  that  unconverted  men  are 
asleep  ?  Does  not  the  view  that  we  have  now  been 
taking  most  clearly  show,  that  before  anything  can 
be  done  for  the  spiritual  and  everlasting  good  of  un- 
converted men,  they  must  be  awakened  ?  "AiuakCy 
thou  that  steepest.^ ^ 

This  will  constitute  the  subject  of  our  lecture  next 
Sunday  evening.  I  will  not  anticipate  the  train  of 
thought  that  will  then  be  pursued. 

In  concluding,  I  will  barely  inquire,  in  view  of  the 
facts  to  which  your  attention  has  now  been  called, 
2 


26  UNCONVERTED   MEN 

what  course  ought  the  minister  of  Christ  to  pursue? 
If  unconverted  men  stand  on  the  outer  edge  of  a 
precipice,  and  will  soon  make  the  final,  irrecoverable 
plunge — and  are  asleep^  insensible  to  their  danger — 
what  is  the  duty  of  Christians,  and  of  Christian  min- 
isters in  reference  to  them  ?  Is  it  not  manifestly  their 
duty  to  endeavor  to  arouse  them  to  a  sense  of  their  con- 
dition ?  Placed,  in  the  Providence  of  God,  on  these 
walls  of  Zion — having  received  this  solemn  charge, 
''  Son  of  man,  if  thou  dost  not  speak  to  warn  the  wicked 
from  his  way,  that  wicked  man  shall  die  in  his  iniquity, 
but  his  blood  will  I  require  at  thy  hand," — beholding 
an  immense  number  of  the  people  of  my  own  charge, 
for  whom  I  shall  have  to  give  an  account  at  the  bar 
of  God,  going  on  to  death  and  to  judgment,  im- 
penitent, unpardoned,  unreconciled  to  God,  and  yet 
insensible  to  their  guilt  and  danger — what  is  my  duty  ? 
Is  it  not  to  try  to  awaken  these  to  a  sense  of  their  con- 
dition, and  to  point  them  to  that  life-giving  tree,  whose 
leaves  are  for  the  healing  of  the  nations  ? 

This  is  the  effort  upon  which  I  have  now  entered ; 
and,  unconverted  friend,  I  entreat  you,  consider  on 
whose  errand  I  come,  and  despise  not  the  message  I 
deliver.  I  come  not  in  my  own  name,  but  at  the  bid- 
ding of  the  great  God.  The  eternal  God  that  made 
you  for  a  life  everlasting,  and  hath  redeemed  you  by 
the  blood  of  his  Son,  hath  sent  me  to  ''  pray  you  in 
Christ's  stead  to  be  reconciled  to  God."  He  sees  how 
unhesitatingly  you  trample  upon  His  holy  law — how 
fearless  you  are  of  his  threatenings,  and  how  careless 
of  your  souls.  He  sees  that  the  dreadful  day  will 
soon  be  at  hand  when  your  sorrows  will  begin,  and 
all  your  cries  will  be  fruitless  and  unavailing. 


ARE    ASLEEP.  27 

In  compassion,  therefore,  he  has  sent  one  and 
another  messenger,  in  His  name,  to  tell  you  plainly 
of  your  sin  and  misery — of  what  will  be  your  end, 
and  how  sad  a  change  you  will  shortly  see  if  you  go 
on  in  impenitence  a  little  longer.  Having  bought 
you  at  no  less  price  than  by  the  blood  of  His  son  Jesus 
Christ,  and  made  you  a  free  promise  of  pardon,  and 
grace,  and  everlasting  glory.  He  commands  me  to 
tender  all  this  to  you  as  the  gift  of  God,  and  to  entreat 
you  to  consider  the  w^orth  of  what  He  offers  you. 

He  sees  and  pities  you,  while  you  are  absorbed  in 
cares  and  pleasures — chasing  after  childish  toys,  and 
wasting  that  precious  time  in  pursuits  of  vanity  which 
you  ought  to  devote  to  a  preparation  for  eternity ;  and 
therefore,  He  hath  commanded  His  ministers  to  call 
after  you,  and  tell  you  that  you  will  lose  both  your 
labor  and  your  souls. 

In  obedience  to  this  command,  I  stand  before  you 
this  evening.  I  stand  here  to  deliver  the  message  of 
Him  who  sent  me.  He  has  charged  me  to  preach — to 
be  instant  in  season  and  out  of  season — to  lift  up  my 
voice  like  a  trumpet,  and  show  you  your  transgres- 
sions and  your  sins.  But,  alas !  the  unconverted  around 
us  are  asleep !  How  often  have  they  stopped  their 
ears,  and  stiffened  their  necks,  and  hardened  their 
hearts,  and  sent  the  minister  of  Christ  back  to  the  feet 
of  his  divine  master,  to  tell  him  that  he  has  delivered 
his  message,  but  has  done  them  no  good.  Oh,  that 
our  eyes  were  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  we  might  weep 
day  and  night  over  these  slumbering,  careless,  uncon- 
verted souls,  that  have  Christ  before  them,  and  par- 
don, and  life,  and  heaven,  and  yet  have  not  hearts  to 
know  and  value  them  ! ! 


28  UNCONVERTED  MEN 

Allow  me  here  to  adopt  the  sentiment  and  language 
of  the  sainted  Baxter,  and  say,  ''Oh,  that  the  Lord 
would  fill  our  hearts  with  more  compassion  to  these 
miserable  souls,  that  we  might  cast  ourselves  even  at 
their  feet,  and  follow  them  to  their  houses,  and  speak 
to  them  with  our  bitter  tears  !  We  have  sought  to 
speak  with  all  plainness  to  make  them  understand,  and 
many  of  them  will  not  understand  us.  We  have 
brought  before  them  the  most  affecting  truths  to  make 
them  feel,  but  they  will  not  feel.  If  the  most  import- 
ant considerations  would  influence  them,  we  should 
arouse  them — if  the  most  constraining  motives  would 
move  them,  we  should  win  their  hearts — if  the  most 
awful  and  tremendous  threatenings  could  startle  them, 
we  should  at  least  deter  them  from  their  wickedness — 
if  truth  and  certainty  had.  any  weight  with  them,  we 
should  soon  convince  them — if  the  God  that  made 
them,  and  the  Christ  that  bought  them  might  be  heard, 
the  case  would  soon  be  altered  with  them — if  the  holy 
scriptures  were  regarded,  we  should  soon  prevail — if 
reason,  even  the  best  and  strongest  reason,  were  lis- 
tened to,  we  should  have  no  doubt  as  to  the  result — if 
experience  were  consulted,  we  should  be  sure  of  per- 
suading them — if  conscience  were  heeded,  we  should 
feel  confident  that  they  would  be  brought  to  Christ. 

"But  if  nothing  can  be  heard,  what  then  shall  we 
do  for  them  1  If  the  dreadful  God  of  Heaven  be 
slighted,  who  then  shall  be  regarded  ]  If  the  inesti- 
mable love  and  blood  of  a  Redeemer  be  made  light 
of,  what  then  shall  be  valued  ?  If  Heaven  have  no 
desirable  glory  with  them,  and  everlasting  joys  be 
nothing  worth — if  they  can  jest  at  Hell,  and  dance  on 
the  edge  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  play  with  the  con- 


ARE  ASLEEP,  29 

suming  fire,  and  that  Avhen  God  and  man  do  warn 
them  of  it,  what  shall  we  do  for  such  souls  as  these?  "* 
Blessed  God,  thy  voice  can  wake  up  the  dead  ;  our 
reliance  is  on  thy  everlasting  arm.  While  we  pro- 
claim thy  truth  here  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  may 
the  dead  hear  the  voice  of  Jesus  and  live ! 

"  Lord,  open  sinners'  eyes, 
Their  awful  state  to  see ; 
And  make  them,  ere  the  storm  arise. 
To  thee  for  safety  flee."     Amen.     ~ 


*  The  sentiments  and  considerable  of  the  language  from  page  28 
inclusive,  is  taken  from  Baxter,  in  his  "  Call  to  the  Unconverted."      • 


DISCOURSE     II. 

UNCONVERTED  MEN  MUST  BE  AWAKENED. 

*'  Awake  thou  that  sleepest." 

Eph.  v.  14. 

No  man  who  reasons  at  all,  or  has  any  respect  for 
the  word  of  God,  or  any  sense  of  moral  obligation, 
can  seriously  maintain  the  opinion,  that  live  here  as 
he  may,  wallowing  in  sin  and  reckless  of  the  author- 
ity of  high  Heaven,  death  will  cure  all,  and  usher 
him,  in  a  moment,  into  the  blissful  society  of  the  re- 
deemed. Conscience,  that  witness  for  God  within 
every  human  bosom,  sternly  rebukes  such  a  vain  ex- 
pectation, and  accords  to  the  testimony  of  the  divine 
word,  "  that  after  death  is  the  judgment.  '^ 

We  read  of  one  who  did  not  trouble  himself  for  any- 
thing beyond  the  present  scene,  and  w^ho,  when  he 
surveyed  his  vast  possessions  and  extended  resources, 
said  to  himself,  ^^Soul,  thou  hast  much  goods  laid  up 
for  many  years  ;  take  thine  ease,  eat,  drink,  and  be 
merry."  But  as  we  look  along  a  little  farther,  we 
read  that  ''  he  died:  and  that  in  Hell  he  lifted  up  his 
eyes^  being  in  torments. ^"^  Our  souls  then  will  not 
enter   Heaven  as  a  matter  of  course  when  we  die. 


UNCONVERTED    MEN    MUST    BE    AWAKENED.  31 

There  is  only  one  way  in  which  any  human  being 
can  enter  Heaven  ;  and  that  is  by  being  horn  again 
and  made  a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus.  We  are  dis- 
tinctly told  that  there  is  salvation  in  no  other  :  that 
*'  there  is  none  other  name  under  Heaven  given 
among  men  whereby  we  must  be  saved  ;  "  and  that 
''  except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the 
kingdom  of  God."  The  reason  of  this  is,  that  all 
mankind  are  corrupt  and  depraved  :  they  have  brok- 
en the  law  of  God,  and  are  in  a  guilty  and  con- 
demned state.  And  what  is  truly  wonderful,  though 
God  himself  has  apprised  them  of  it,  all  impenitent 
men,  up  to  the  present  hour,  are  wilfully  ignorant  of 
this  fact.  They  are  ignorant  of  their  true  moral 
standing  in  the  sight  of  God ;  and  hence  the  Scriptures 
describe  them  as  asleep.    ''Awake^  thou  that  steepest .'" 

In  speaking  upon  this  passage  last  Sunday  evening, 
we  endeavoured  to  show  that  all  unconverted  men 
were  asleep — were  in  a  state  of  insensibility  and  delu- 
sion. We  design  to  illustrate  this  evening,  the  posi- 
tion, that  the  first  thing  to  be  done  in  order  to  save  un- 
converted men^  is  to  awaken  them.  How  tmly  does 
this  figure  describe  asleep — insensible.  "  Awake,  thou 
that  steepest  /  " 

Men  who  are  in  that  state  of  partial  and  temporary 
suspension  of  the  mental  powers  which  we  denomi- 
nate sleep,  can  do  nothing  towards  averting  danger 
to  which  they  may  be  exposed,  or  discharging  duties 
that  may  be  incumbent  upon  them,  until  they  are 
awakened.     I  will  endeavour  to  illustrate  this  idea. 

It  is  well  known  that  on  that  noble  stream  that 
empties  the  gathered  waters  of  a  hundred  lakes  over 


32  UNCONVERTED  MEN 

the  tremendous  cataract  of  Niagara,  several  miles 
above  the  fearful  precipice,  from  the  formation  of  the 
country,  and  the  bed  of  the  channel,  there  is  a  rapid 
descent ;  and  the  waters  as  they  roll  along  acquire  a 
fearful  impetus,  as  though  eager  and  anxious  to  leap 
forward  and  find  repose  in  the  bed  of  the  ocean.  If 
the  skiff  of  the  fisherman,  or  the  canoe  of  the  Indian, 
once  gets  into  this  current,  it  cannot  be  turned  aside 
by  any  human  skill,  but  is  borne  with  the  lightning's 
speed  onward,  and  still  onward,  till  it  reaches  the 
fatal  precipice,  and  is  plunged,  amid  the  deafening 
roar  and  dashing  waters,  into  the  vast,  foaming  abyss 
beneath,  broken  and  shivered  into  ten  thousand  atoms. 
Were  we  standing  on  the  banks  of  that  river,  and  did 
•we  see  a  bark  slowly  gliding  down  the  stream,  and 
know  that  all  who  were  on  board  were  asleep :  were 
we  acquainted  with  the  fact  of  their  danger — did  we 
know  that  the  current  which  was  bearing  them  slowly 
on,  would  in  less  than  an  hour  conduct  them  to  a  point 
in  the  stream  where  destruction  would  be  inevitable, 
wdiat  course  should  we  adopt  to  save  them  1  Would 
it  not  be  to  attempt  to  aw^aken  them  1  If  by  the  re- 
port of  fire-arms,  or  by  any  other  means,  they  could 
be  aroused  from  their  slumbers,  they  would  be  able 
now  to  turn  their  bark  aside  and  escape  ;  but  in  a  sin- 
gle hour  the  stream  would  drift  them  down  to  a  point 
where  there  was  no  turning  back,  nor  turning  aside. 
The  only  hope  of  saving  them,  therefore,  would  be  to 
awaken  them. 

This  is  precisely  the  condition  of  every  unconverted 
man.  His  bark  is  gliding  down  the  stream  of  time 
towards  an  awful  precipice.  It  will  soon  reach  a  point 
where  you  cannot  turn  it  aside.     And  yet  lie  is  asleep. 


MUST    BE    AWAKENED.  33 

He  must  awake  speedily,  or  perish.  This  is  why  we 
stand  here  to  night,  and  cry,  "  Awake,  thou  that 
sleepest." 

Another  iUustration.     It  is  midnight.     In  yonder 
habitation  a  father  sleeps  with  his  dear  children  around 
him.     She  who  was  once  the  light  of  that  house,  and 
the  centre  of  its  domestic  happiness,  has  gone  down 
to  the  grave,  and  those  children  are  now  motherless. 
That  father  feels  that  he  could  not  live  if  these  dear 
little  ones  were  not  around  him.      But  since  his  eyes 
are  closed  in  sleep,  that  dear  boy  that  lies  at  his  side 
has  been  attacked  with  disease.     The  fatal  destroyer 
is  advancing  towards  him  with  rapid  strides.     Already 
is  that  blooming  one  marked  for  death.     A  fever  burns 
through  his  veins^his  respiration  is  fearfully  embar- 
rassed— he  even  now  seems  panting  and  gasping  for 
life.     Why  does  not  that  parent  rise  to  minister  to  his 
child  ?     He  is  asleep.     The  child  grows  still  worse ; 
but  even  now  if  powerful  remedies  were  applied — if 
that  little  one  could  have  the  benefit  of  medical  advice, 
he  might  be  saved.     Oh,  why  does  not  that  father  fly 
to  the  physician  ;  why  does  he  not  hasten  to  bring  re- 
lief to  his  child  ?    He  is  asleep.    Let  him  once  be  awak- 
ened,  and  see  what  anxiety  he  will  manifest ;  what 
efforts  he  will  put  forth,  and  what  exertions  he  will 
make  to  save  that  child's  life. 

In  like  manner  must  unconverted  men  be  awak- 
ened, before  they  can  be  made  to  see  and  realize  the 
obligations  and  duties  that  press  upon  them.  They 
must  awake  to  a  perception  of  the  character  of  God 
— to  a  perception  of  His  goodness.  His  holiness,  and 
His  sovereignty ;  and  of  the  relations  they  sustain, 
and  the  obligations  they  are  under  to  Him.     They 


34  UNCONVERTED  MEN 

must  awake  to  a  perception  of  the  claims  of  God's 
law,  and  to  a  sense  of  their  actual  situation  as  con- 
demned criminals  before  Him.  They  must  awake  to 
the  full  discovery  that  as  long  as  they  remain  im- 
penitent, they  are  every  moment  going  onward  to- 
wards perdition — towards  the  edge  of  the  fiery  pit. 
They  must  awake  to  a  realizing  view  of  their  enormous 
ingratitude  in  neglecting  the  overtures  of  grace,  and  in 
trampling  under  foot  the  precious  blood  of  Christ. 
They  must  awake  to  the  admonition  of  that  solemn 
voice,  Avhich,  with  trumpet  tongue,  bids  them  prepare 
for  death,  judgment,  and  eternity. 

But  here  the  question  may  arise — how  are  uncon- 
verted men  to  be  awakened  ?  Is  it  criminal  for  them 
to  remain  in  this  state  of  slumber  1  There  can  be  no 
doubt  but  unmeasured  guilt  attaches  itself  to  every 
one  who  thus  continues  in  spiritual  sleep.  All  un- 
converted men  have  powers  and  faculties  which,  if 
they  would  use,  would  lead  them  to  discover  their 
guilt  and  danger.  The  whole  truth  is  spread  before 
them  in  God's  word.  They  have  only  to  bring  the 
same  powers  of  attention  and  discrimination  to  its 
sacred  page  that  they  every  day  bring  to  their  busi- 
ness, and  they  would  then  see  things  in  a  true  light. 
But  they  are  not  willing  to  bring  those  powers  of 
thought  and  attention  to  an  examination  of  the  sub- 
ject of  religion  which  they  daily  apply  to  the  ordinary 
affairs  of  life.  And  herein  consists  their  great  folly 
and  guilt.  "  Light  is  come  into  the  world  ;  but  men 
love  darkness  rather  than  light  because  their  deeds 
are  evil.  For  every  one  that  doeth  evil  hateth  the 
light,  neither  cometh  to  the  light,  lest  his  deeds  should 
be  reproved." 


MUST    BE    AWAKENED.  35 

God  employs  a  diversity  of  means  by  which  to 
awaken  unconverted  men.  He  appoints  to  one,  a  re- 
verse of  fortune — the  bright  sun  of  prosperity  goes 
down  at  noonday — everything  seems  to  frown  upon 
him;  his  plans  are  all  broken  up  ;  poverty  stares  him 
in  the  face  ;  he  knows  not  what  hardships  and  suffer- 
ings may  be  before  him.  Life  now  appears  to  him  a 
different  thing  from  what  it  once  did  :  God  means 
that  these  calamities  shall  wake  tliat  man  up,  and 
lead  him  to  seek  everlasting  riches  in  Christ. 

Upon  another  he  sends  disease  and  sickness. 
Though  he  has  wealth,  and  the  means  of  indulgence, 
he  drags  around  a  poor  sickly  body  that  can  enjoy 
none  of  these  things ;  and  which  reminds  him  by  its 
pains,  and  feebleness,  and  lassitude,  that  he  is  stand- 
ing on  the  very  verge  of  eternity. 

The  Creator  designs  that  this  calamity  shall  wake 
him  up  from  the  dream  of  his  worldliness,  and  lead 
him  to  prepare  for  that  heavenly  world,  "  where  the 
inhabitants  no  more  say,  I  am  sick." 

Upon  a  third  the  Lord  sends  affliction  in  another 
form.  Death  comes  suddenly,  and  tears  away  some 
dear  friend,  a  beloved  wife,  or  darling  child,  or  affec- 
tionate parent. 

By  every  such  visitation  God  says  to  the  careless 
and  impenitent.  Be  ye  also  ready.  How  often  has 
God  sought  in  this  way  to  wake  up  the  careless  and 
impenitent  in  this  congregation  from  the  dream  of 
their  delusion  !  How  many  sable  badges,  the  insig- 
nia of  bereavement  and  mourning,  are  now  before 
me,  to  attest  the  truth  of  this  remark !  And  yet,  alas  ! 
how, few  have  been  awakened  by  these  solemn  calls 
of  God! 


36  UNCONVERTED    MEN 

Another  means ^  and  what  may  perhaps  be  deno- 
minated the  ordinary  mode  by  which  unconverted 
men  are  awakened,  is  the  preaching  of  the  word. 
This  is  the  divinely  appointed  way  of  awakening  men. 
We  are  therefore  encouraged  to  hope  that  our  efforts 
will  not  be  in  vain.  Besides  the  fact,  to  which  allu- 
sion has  just  been  made,  that  this  is  the  divinely  ap- 
pointed way  of  awakening  men,  the  grounds  of  our 
encouragement  are : 

1.  That  we  come  in  the  name  of  God.  As  the  pro- 
phet was  commanded  to  go  and  prophesy  over  the 
valley  of  dry  bones,  so  we  have  been  commissioned 
to  stand  on  these  walls  of  Zion,  and  proclaim  to  you 
the  message  of  the  Lord.  ''  Now,  then,  we  are  am- 
bassadors for  Christ,  as  though  God  did  beseech  you 
by  us."  We  ask  you  to  heed  our  message,  not  for 
our  sake,  but  for  the  sake  of  that  glorious  Being  who 
holds  you  in  the  holloAV  of  his  hand,  and  who  has 
committed  to  us  the  ministry  of  reconciliation. 

2.  Another  ground  of  encouragement  is,  that  we 
proclaim  to  you,  not  our  oicn  message^  but  the  word 
of  the  Lord  ;  and  God  has  said  that  his  word  shall  be 
quick  and  powerful,  sharper  than  any  two-edged 
sword ;  that  it  shall  be  like  a  hammer  to  the  rock  ; 
that  "it  shall  not  return  unto  him  void,  but  accom- 
plish the  thing  whereunto  he  sends  it."  We  believe 
that  God  is  as  able  to  wake  up  from  the  slumbers  of 
spiritual  sleep,  unconverted  men  here^  while  we  cry — 
^^  Awake ^  thou  that  steepest,^ ^  as  he  was  to  cause  that 
great  multitude  of  men,  clothed  with  flesh  and  ani- 
mated with  life^  to  start  up  from  the  valley  of  dry 
bones,  when  the  prophet  stood  there  and  cried, — 


MUST   BE    AWAKENED.  37 

*^Come  from  the  four  winds,  O  breath,  and  breathe 
upon  these  slain  that  they  may  live." 

3.  And,  Thirdly  J  another  ground  of  encouragement, 
that  leads  us  to  hope  that  this  effort  will  not  be  in 
vain  is,  that  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  is  here.  Chris- 
tians, do  I  not  speak  advisedly?  If  the  Eternal  Spirit 
is  not  here  present,  it  is  because  our  sins^  or  our  want 
of  faith  and  prayer  have  caused  him  to  depart.  Oh, 
can  it  be,  that  in  this  sacred  temple,  where  have  been 
acted  so  many  scenes  over  which  the  angels  of  hea- 
ven have  rejoiced,  there  is  not  such  a  number  of 
faithful  petitioners  now  present  as  to  secure  that  best 
promise  of  Christ — the  gift  of  His  Spirit?  I  cannot 
believe  it.  I  know  that  many  fervent  prayers  have 
gone  up  to  God  for  a  blessing  on  the  exercises  of  this 
evening,  and  especially  for  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Those  prayers  have  pierced  the  heavens,  and 
reached  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth.  He  has 
said,   ^'Ask,  and  ye  shall  receive." 

I  do  not  speak  unadvisedly  then  in  saying,  that  the 
Spirit  of  the  living  God  is  here.  And  my  hope  is, 
that  what  is  offered  at  this  time,  ''in  weakness  and  in 
fear,  and  in  much  trembling,"  will,  by  the  mighty 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  be  carried  home  to  the 
hearts  and  consciences  of  unconverted  men,  and  wake 
them  up  to  the  eternal  realities  that  are  around  them. 

I  desire  to  be  permitted  again  this  evening  to  speak 
to  them  with  all  plainness  and  fidelity.  With  my 
present  feelings  I  cannot  speak  to  them  in  any  other 
terms  than  those  of  love  and  affection.  It  is  the  deep 
interest  I  feel  in  your  eternal  welfare,  and  the  earnest 
desire  that  burns  in  mv  bosom  to  see  vou  one  dav  in 


38  UNCONVERTED   MEN 

the  kingdom  of  glory,  that  prompts  me  to  make  this 
effort — that  emboldens  me  to  stand  here  and  spread 
the  whole  truth  before  you.  Let  me,  then,  as  your 
friend,  expostulate  with  you,  and  tell  you  all  your 
danger — ''  Awake^  thou  that  steepest  /" 

Every  unconverted  man  is  asleep;  and  by  the  un- 
converted I  mean,  not  simply  those  who  are  profane, 
abandoned,  or  profligate.  There  may  be  some  such 
here  this  evening;  and  if  so,  may  God  speak  to  their 
consciences  with  a  voice  of  thunder.  Neither  by  the 
unconvei'ted  do  I  mean  merely  those  who  violate  the 
Sabbath  or  neglect  public  worship;  those  who  have 
injured  their  neighbours  in  their  lives,  their  chastity, 
or  their  property,  through  violence  or  fraud ;  or  those 
who  have  debased  their  rational  nature  by  vile  intem- 
perance. If  there  be  any  such  in  this  house  to-night 
— and  God  knows  whether  there  is — may  the  words 
spoken  be  like  scorpion-stings  to  their  souls,  waking 
them  up  from  the  slumber  of  spiritual  death.  But 
men  may  avoid  all  these  gross  vices :  yea,  exemplify 
in  their  lives  many  of  those  sweet  graces  and  moral 
virtues  that  dignify  and  adorn  the  human  character ; 
and  still  be  unconverted. 

In  addressing  you,  my  hearer,  as  belonging  to  the 
class  of  the  unconverted^  I  would  charge  you  with  no- 
thing more  than  is  absolutely  necessary  to  convince 
you,  that  you  are  the  person  to  whom  I  speak.  I  will 
suppose,  that  you  believe  the  existence  and  providence 
of  God,  and  the  truth  of  Christianity  as  a  revelation 
from  Him ;  that  your  conduct  among  men  is  not  only 
blameless,  but  truly  amiable  ;  and  that  those  who 
know  you  best  acknowledge  that  you  are  just  and 


MUST   BE   AWAKENED.  39 

sober,  kind  and  courteous,  compassionate  and  lil)eral. 
And  yet  with  all  this,  that  you  have  never  truly  re- 
pented of  your  sins,  and  embraced  Christ  by  faith  as 
the  Saviour  of  your  soul — that  you  lack  that  one  thing 
on  which  your  eternal  happiness  depends — that  when 
you  lay  your  hand  upon  your  heart,  and  ask  yourself 
as  in  the  presence  of  the  infinitely  pure  and  holy  God, 
Am  I  truly  religious  '?  Have  I  ever  seen,  and 
mourned  over  my  sins  ?  Have  I  ever  gone  as  a  lost 
and  perishing  sinner  to  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  cast 
myself  on  him  ?  Do  I  love  God  more  than  any  earth- 
ly object  ?  Do  I  walk  continually  under  a  sense  of 
his  presence  ?  Do  I  hold  communion  with  him  from 
day  to  day  in  the  exercise  of  prayer  and  praise  ?  Am 
I,  on  the  whole,  making  his  service  my  business  and 
delight  ?  When  you  lay  your  hand  on  your  heart 
and  attempt  to  answer  these  questions,  as  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  omniscient  Jehovah — you  are  obliged,  in 
strict  truth,  to  say — ^'  No,  I  cannot  affirm  this  of  my- 
self." 

My  message  then  is  to  you.  Whether  you  are 
high  or  low,  rich  or  poor,  young  or  old,  learned  or 
unlearned,  it  matters  not.  By  your  own  concession, 
you  are  an  unconverted  sinner — you  have  not  been 
born  again,  and  God  bids  me  lift  up  my  voice  and 
cry  in  your  ears,  ''Jiwake,  thou  that  steepest.^' 

Just  pause  for  one  moment,  and  consider  what  a 
strange  infatuation  is  upon  you,  lulling  thought  and 
reflection  to  sleep. 

Though  you  profess  to  believe  that  the  Gospel  is  di- 
vine, and  its  blessings  eternal,  you  are  living  with 
just  the  same  indifference  to  eternal  things  as  though 
you  had  long  since  demonstrated  to  yourself,  that  the 


40  UNCONVERTED   MEN 

news  of  salvation  through  a  crucified  Redeemer 
was  a  mere  dream.  You  are  living  just  as  though  God 
took  no  cognizance  of  your  doings  :  and  it  is  not  im- 
probable that  the  very  last  time  that  you  were  in  a 
worshipping  assembly, you  managed  justasyouwould, 
if  you  had  thought  God  knew  nothing  of  your  be- 
haviour— or,  as  if  you  did  not  think  it  worth  one  sin- 
gle care  whether  he  were  pleased  or  displeased  with 
it.* 

Oh,  unconverted  friend,  in  the  name  of  all  that  is 
sacred,  awake  ! 

1.  Awake  to  a  sense  of  the  divine  goodness.  Stop  for 
one  moment  and  consider  how,  all  your  life  long, 
you  have  forgotten  and  neglected  your  great  and 
glorious  benefactor  !  Is  it  right,  or  reasonable,  to 
neglect  God  thus  ?  Tell  me,  do  you  really  think  it 
is  1  What  has  He  not  done  for  you  ?  What  mercy 
— what  blessing — what  comfort  did  you  ever  have, 
that  did  not  come  from  God  1  Would  you  have  treat- 
ed any  earthly  benefactor  as  you  have  the  great  God 
of  Heaven  ?  What  would  you  have  thought  of  your- 
self, if  you  had  neglected  a  kind  parent,  or  a  gener- 
ous friend  as  you  have  God — if  you  had  taken  no  no- 
tice of  him  while  in  his  presence — returned  him  no 
thanks,  and  had  no  contrivances  to  make  some  little 
acknowledgment  for  all  his  goodness  ?  The  very 
brute  creation  have  more  sense  of  gratitude  than  this ! 
One  has  well  remarked, — ''  If  you  do  but  for  a  few 
days  take  a  little  notice  of  a  dog,  and  feed  him  with 
the  refuse  of  your  table,  he  will  wait  upon  you  and 


*  Some  of  the  preceding  sentiments  are  from  Doddridge's  "  Rise  and 
Progress".     See  Page  26. 


MUST    BE    AWAKENED.  41 

love  to  be  near  you  :  he  will  be  eager  to  follow  you 
from  place  to  place ;  and  when,  after  a  little  absence, 
you  return  home,  will  try  by  a  thousand  fond  trans- 
ported motions  to  tell  you  how  much  he  rejoices  to 
see  you  again."* 

Yea,  ''  the  stupid  ox  knoweth  his  owner,  and  the 
ass  his  master's  crib,"  but  unconverted  men  do  not 
know,  nor  bless  the  hand  that  feeds  them.  Is  not 
the  sin  of  ingratitude  the  blackest  in  the  whole  cata- 
logue of  human  crime  ?  Who  does  not  feel  that  he 
is  injured  when  he  does  everything  for  a  friend  or  a 
child,  and  all  the  benefits  he  has  conferred  are  forgot- 
ten, and  he  receives  nothing  but  unkindness  and  in- 
gratitude in  return? 

"  Blow — blow,  thou  winter  wind, 
Thou  art  not  so  unkind, 
As  man's  ingratitude  ; 
Thy  tooth  is  not  so  keen, 
Because  thou  art  not  seen, 
Although  thy  breath  be  rude. 

Freeze,  freeze,  thou  bitter  sky. 
Thou  dost  not  bite  so  nigh. 

As  benefits  forgot : 
Though  thou  the  waters  warp 
Thy  sting  is  not  so  sharp 

As  friend  remembered  not." 

Can  you,  my  hearer,  think  yourself  safe  while  act- 
ing such  a  part  towards  the  great  God  of  heaven — 
while  living  unmindful  of  his  goodness,  and  thank- 
less for  all  his  unnuntfbered  mercies  ?  Oh,  awake — 
^'  Awake ^  thou  that  sleepest  /" 

2.  Awake  to  the  claims  of  God^s  holy  law.   That  law 


Doddridge. 


42  UNCONVERTED    MEN 

cannot  be  broken  with  impunity.  It  is  a  perfect  tran- 
script of  God's  mind  and  will,  and  not  the  result  of  a 
capricious  legislation.  It  is  what  the  all-perfect  Jeho- 
vah, in  the  plenitude  of  infinite  wisdom,  has  educed 
as  best  calculated  to  promote  his  own  glory  and  the 
happiness  of  mankind.  The  precepts  of  this  law  are 
enforced  by  the  most  awful  sanctions — eternal  life  and 
eternal  death.  No  one  can  break  this  law  without 
being  pronounced  a  rebel,  and  without  drawing  down 
upon  himself  the  curse  of  Jehovah. 

Now,  if  God's  authority  be  anything — if  his  judg- 
ment as  to  what  will  make  his  creatures  happy,  be 
an3^thing — if  His  threatenings  and  infinite  wrath  be 
anything — if  the  agonies  of  an  eternal  hell  be  any- 
thing,— then,  unconverted  hearer,  awake  to  the  claims 
of  God's  law ! 

Every  unconverted  man  is  living  under  that  law, 
and  if  he  does  not  regard  its  claims  here,  he  will 
hereafter  be  under  its  curse  for  ever.  Awake^  then^ 
thou  that  steepest !  Contemplate  the  divine  law ! 
Behold  it  in  its  length  and  breadth.  See  how  it  takes 
cognizance  of  all  your  deeds,  and  words,  and  thoughts ! 
Are  you  willing  to  stand  before  the  bar  of  God,  and 
be  tried  by  its  high  and  holy  requirements  ?  Look — 
oh,  look  into  your  heart,  and  see  if,  when  its  unpub- 
lished secrets  come  to  be  all  laid  open,  you  will  be 
able  to  lift  up  your  head,  and  meet  a  holy  God  with- 
out fear  !     ''  Awake,  thou  that  sleepest !" 

3.  Awake  to  the  awful  fact  titktyou  are  even  now  un- 
der condemnation.  Impenitent  men  often  cheer  them- 
selves with  the  hope  that  in  the  day  of  judgment 
they  will  escape  condemnation  through  the  divine  be- 
nignity— forgetting  that  the  Scriptures  declare   that 


MUST    BE    AWAKENED.  43 

they  are  condemned  already.  "  He  that  believeth  not 
is  condemned  already."  Yes,  unconverted  man,  this 
is  your  case — yoit  are  condemned  already.  You  are  in 
the  situation  of  one  who  has  been  tried,  and  found 
guihy,  and  sentenced,  and  awaits  the  hour  of  exe- 
cution. God  has  pronounced  sentence  of  condemna- 
tion upon  you.  You  have  not  only  broken  his  law, 
but  you  have  refused,  or  neglected  to  avail  your- 
self of  the  offer  of  pardon  through  Jesus  Christ,  which 
he  has  caused  to  be  proclaimed  a  thousand  times  in 
your  hearing.  Condemned  by  the  law,  and  having 
up  to  this  very  time  rejected  the  grace  of  the  Gospel, 
there  is  a  double  condemnation  that  hangs  over  you. 
You  are  every  day  in  danger  of  dropping  into  endless 
misery.  Your  friends,  and  all  around  you,  if  they 
knew  what  your  condition  was,  might  well  hft  up  a 
loud  and  bitter  cry,  whenever  they  beheld  you,  and 
say, ''  Here  is  an  unhappy  being  under  the  condemna- 
tion of  Almighty  God — here  is  a  miserable  man  who  is 
in  danger  every  day  of  being  swallowed  up  in  the 
bottomless  gulf  of  wo  !  Here  is  a  wretched,  undone 
creature,  condemned  to  lie  down  for  ever  in  unquench- 
able fire,  and  to  dwell  in  everlasting  burnings.  He 
has  no  interest  in  Christ.  He  has  nothing  to  defend 
him — nothing  wherewith  to  appease  the  wrath  of  an 
offended  God."*  Oh  thou  under-condemnation  sin- 
ner, how  canst  thou  take  any  comfort — how  canst 
thou  trifle  and  laugh  and  be  merry,  while  the  wrath 
of  God  hangs  over  thee  1  Dost  thou  not  know  that 
in  the  sight  of  God  thou  art  covered  with  guilt  ?  There 
is  no  place  in  heaven  that  could  hold  thee  ;  its  very 

*  See  Edwards'  Works,  vol.  8,  page  212. 


44  UNCONVERTED   MEN 

pavements  would  give  way,  shrinking  from  thy  pol- 
luted tread,  to  let  thee  into  the  burning  pit  below ! 
There  is  not  a  being  on  the  eternal  mount  that  would 
not  fly  from  thy  presence.  If  thou  couldst  scale  the 
wall  of  heaven,  and  force  thy  entrance  into  the  new 
Jerusalem,  it  would  be  instantly  emptied  !  Yea,  the 
sainted  mother  who  bore  thee,  and  who  is  now  a  burn- 
ing seraph  before  the  throne,  would  fly  from  thy  pres- 
ence !  Oh,  awake  to  a  sense  of  thy  true  character 
and  condition ! 

You  may  say  that  all  this  is  the  painting  of  the  ima- 
gination ;  but  in  the  end,  j^ou  will  find  that  these  are 
the  words  of  soberness  and  truth.  You  may  say — ''  I 
cannot  think  that  I  am  the  guilty,  condemned  one, 
which  this  statement  represents  me."  Impenitent 
friend,  I  am  aware  of  this.  I  know  that  your  mind  is 
full  of  unbelief.  I  know  that  you  are  asleep.  And  it 
is  on  this  account  that  God  has  sent  me  to  try  to  awak- 
en you  ;  and  if  I  do  not  succeed,  or  some  other  mes- 
senger, then  all  my  labour  will  be  in  vain,  and  your 
soul  will  perish  !  Therefore,  in  the  name  of  God,  I 
again  call  upon  you — awake  /  Awake,  thou  that  steep- 
est / 

4.  Awake  to  the  awful  fact,  that  until  you  are  tru- 
ly converted,  every  step  you  take  is  conducting  you  down 
to  the  bottomless  jnt. 

Some  persons  seem  to  think  that  by  breaking  off  a 
few  gross  immoralities,  or  by  exemplifying  a  few  of 
the  moral  virtues  in  their  conduct,  they  have  made 
great  advance  towards  heaven.  But  in  this  idea  they 
are  greatly  mistaken.  Until  they  truly  repent  of  their 
sins,  and  look  unto  God,  through  Christ,  for  mercy — 


MUST    BE    AWAKENED.  45 

until  their  hearts  arc  changed  by  the  operation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit — they  never  take  a  single  step  towards 
heaven.  Though  they  reform  their  conduct  ever  so 
much — they  still  keep  on  in  the  downward  path  until 
they  give  up  their  hearts  to  God. 

Others  often  persuade  themselves  that  by  having 
become  serious,  and  felt  convictions  of  sin,  they  have 
travelled  no  inconsiderable  way  towards  heaven. 
This  is  also  an  entirely  mistaken  view  of  the  mat- 
ter. So  far  from  being  on  their  way  to  heaven,  they 
have  not  yet  stopped  going  down  the  broad  road;  and 
never  will  stop  till  they  repent — till  they  submit  their 
hearts  to  God,  till  they  turn,  till  they  are  converted. 

This  then  is  your  case,  oh,  unconverted  man  ! 
You  are  going  down  to  the  chambers  of  death  !  Every 
while  you  listen  to  me,  you  are  advancing  !  Oh, 
awake — ^'  awake,  thou  that  sleepest !"  Behold  your 
danger,  and  turn  before  it  is  for  ever  too  late. 

5.  Awake  to  a  perception  of  the  awful  punishment, 
that  will  be  your  certain  doom,  if  you  remain  impeni- 
tent and  without  Christ. 

The  scriptures  speak  of  the  misery  that  awaits  the 
soul,  that  has  no  lot  nor  part  in  Christ,  under  meta- 
phors the  most  appalling  and  terrific.  They  describe 
it  as  indignation  and  wrath,  tribulation  and  anguish — 
the  gnawings  of  a  worm  that  never  dies,  the  consum- 
ing of  a  fire  that  cannot  be  quenched.  A  prison- 
house,  dark  and  awful,  where  there  is  ceaseless  weep- 
ing and  wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  A  vast  pit, 
deep  and  dismal,  from  which  issues  the  smoke  of  tor- 
ments that  never  end.  A  lake  of  fire,  where  the  burn- 
ing billows  of  wrath  roll  over  the  agonized  soul,  through 


46  UNCONVERTED   MEN 

all  the  ceaseless  ages  of  eternity !  Oh,  unconverted 
sinner,  awake  to  a  perception  of  the  misery  that  is 
before  thee.  Sleep  no  longer  on  the  brink  of  the 
bottomless  pit. 

6.  Awake  to  a  perception  of  the  love  of  God  in 
Christ. 

Though  thou  hast  ruined  thyself — though  thou  hast 
been  most  ungrateful  to  God — having,  all  thy  life, 
neglected  and  forgotten  Him  who  gave  thee  life  and 
breath,  and  all  things  :  though  thou  hast  trampled  on 
his  law,  and  virtually  said,  "  I  will  not  have  thee  to 
reign  over  me  :"  though  thou  art  under  condemnation, 
and  thy  every  step  is  conducting  thee  onward  to  the 
prison-house  of  despair,  and  even  now  the  pit  gapes, 
and  opens  its  mouth  to  receive  thee !  God,  thy  Mak- 
er, does  not  wish  thee  to  die  :  he  has  stirred  up  all 
heaven  in  solicitude  for  thy  rescue  !  He  has  sent 
his  Son  to  die  in  thy  place  :  and  a  foundation  has 
been  laid  for  thy  deliverance  in  his  own  glory. 
And  the  glorious  Son  of  God,  who  died  for  thee,  is 
even  now,  while  I  speak,  standing  before  the  throne 
of  his  Father  interceding  for  thee  !  Yea,  God  him- 
self, from  his  eternal  throne,  is  saying,  ''  As  I  live,  I 
have  no  pleasure  in  thy  death.  Turn — turn — why 
wilt  thou  diel"  This  very  moment,  the  blessed  Sa- 
viour holds  thee  back  from  the  yawning  pit,  and  be- 
seeches thee  to  be  reconciled  to  God.  This  very  mo- 
ment the  Holy  Spirit  knocks  at  the  door  of  thy  heart, 
and  says,  ^'*S'm?ier,  twn — turn.^^ 

This  very  moment,  the  eternal  God  is  saying  to 
thee  :  ''  Come,  now  let  us  reason  together.  Though 
your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  white  as  snow ; 


MUST   BE    AWAKENED.  47 

thong-h  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as 
wool !"  ''Awake,  thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from  the 
dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light."  May  I  not, 
then^  reiterate  my  message  to  thee,  and  say,  awake  ! 
Be  no  longer  insensible  to  the  love  of  God  in  Christ. 
Do  not  cast  away  from  you  this  rich  boon  of  everlast- 
ing life !  Awake — awake,  and  see  its  unspeakable 
value ! 

7.  Finally^  I  would  bid  you.  Awake  to  the  solemn 
realities  of  death.,  judgment  and  eternity  ! 

If  you  are  not  awakened  by  my  voice,  there  is  a 
voice  that  ere  long  will  awaken  you. 

While  your  acquaintances  and  friends  are  dropping 
around  you  into  the  grave,  it  is  strange  that  you  are 
so  insensible  to  your  own  mortality,  and  the  scenes 
that  lie  beyond  it.  A  thin  wall  of  flesh  and  blood  is 
all  that  stands  between  your  soul  and  the  bottomless 
pit !  A  thousand  events  are  transpiring  around  you 
every  hour,  which  could  easily  break  down  that  frail 
wall,  and  launch  your  immortal  spirit  into  that  fear- 
ful abyss  !  There  is  not  a  step  you  take,  nor  a  parti- 
cle of  food  you  eat,  nor  a  breath  you  draw,  that  might 
not  be  the  occasion  of  your  death.  You  arc  hanging 
by  a  single  thread,  over  a  ruined  eternity  ;  and  there 
is  not  an  instant  in  which  that  thread  may  not  be  brok- 
en !  And  then  you  drop  into  that  eternity,  for  ever 
lost !  And  yet  you  are  asleep  : — Oh,  awake,  thou  that 
sleepest ! 

In  a  little  while  you  will  be  dead  !  Your  soul  Avill 
be  arraigned  at  the  bar  of  God.  You  will  hear  the 
awful  words,  "  Depart.)  ye  cursed.,  into  everlasting  fire  !^^ 
You  will  then  awake  !  but  it  will  be  too  late ! 


48  UNCONVERTED  MEN 

Dying  fellow  sinner,  awake  to-night !  To-morrow 
it  may  be  too  late.     JVow — now  is  the  time  ! 

Unconverted  hearer,  what  do  you  say  ?  This  even- 
ing, I  have  not  sought  to  please  but  to  save  you.  The 
Holy  Ghost  is  witness  that  "  my  hearVs  desire  and  pray- 
er to  God  for  you  is,  that  you  may  be  saved.^'  You  can- 
not be  saved,  unless  you  awake.  '^  Oh,  sleeper,  what 
meanest  thou  1  Arise,  and  call  upon  thy  God  !" 
Again  I  would  repeat  my  message  and  say,  "  Aivake, 
thou  that  steepest  J' 

I  trust  there  are  some  in  this  congregation,  that  are 
waking  up  from  that  deep  sleep,  that  has  been  upon 
them  all  their  life,  and  are  beginning  to  see  their  guilt 
and  danger.  Under  the  hope  that  this,  my  labor  in 
the  Lord,  will  not  be  in  vain,  I  propose,  next  Sunday 
evening,  to  address  the  same  class  to  whom  my  dis- 
course has  been  directed  this  evening.  I  shall  then 
endeavour  to  exhibit  the  reasons  why  the  business  of 
religion  should  be  attended  to  at  once,  rather  than  at 
any  future  season. 

But — the  solemn  thought  occurs  to  me — that  I  may 
never  preach  again  in  this  pulpit !  Before  the  shades  of 
another  Sabbath  evening  gather  over  the  earth,  my 
voice  may  be  silent  in  death.  Or,  should  I  stand  here 
next  Sabbath  evening,  you  may  then  lie  on  a  sick  bed 
from  which  you  will  never  rise.  This  may  be  the  last 
call  you  will  ever  hear !  But  mark,  if  you  go  to  the 
judgment  bar  with  this  sermon  ringing  in  your  ears, 
you  will  not  go  umvarned. 

God  is  witness  that  I  have  spoken  to  you  to-night 
what  I  believe  to  be  the  truth ;  and  I  have  spoken  it 


MUST    BE    AWAKENED.  49 

in  love.  The  judgment  day  will  disclose  the  certain- 
ty of  what  I  now  utter.  In  the  judgment  day— in  the 
judgment  day,  sinner,  we  meet  again !  !  ! 


DISCOURSE    III. 

IMPORTANCE  OF  IMMEDIATE  ATTENTION  TO  RELIGION. 

"  Go  thy  way  for  this  time ;  when  I  have  a  convenient  season  I  will 
call  for  thee." — Acts.  xxiv.  25. 

Though  God  dwelleth  above,  far  out  of  sight,  he  does 
not  shut  himself  up  in  eternal  silence,  in  the  bright 
pavilion  of  his  glory.  He  speaks  to  us  through  many 
mediums.  He  hath  given  to  every  part  of  the  uni- 
verse towards  which  we  can  turn  our  eye,  a  tongue 
which  declares,  ''  I  have  a  message  to  thee  from  God.^^ 
And  yet  to  all  these  voices  which  come  to  us  from  so 
many  quarters,  urging  upon  us  the  obligations  of  duty, 
we  say,  ''  Go  thy  way  for  this  time.^^     Is  it  not  so  1 

Have  you  not  stood,  on  a  cloudless  night,  and 
surveyed  the  star-lit  heaven,  and  gazed  with  ecstacy 
and  wonder  upon  the  millions  of  worlds  that  floated 
before  you  in  the  vast  expanse  of  infinite  space,  and 
thought  of  that  Almighty  Being  who  awoke  these 
worlds  into  existence,  and  upholds  them  by  the  word 
of  his  power  1  And  did  not  a  voice  then  come  upon 
your  ear,  amid  the  stillness  and  majesty  of  the  surround- 
ing scene,  saying,  "  The  heavens  declare  the  glory 
of  God,  and  the  firmament  showeth  his  handiwork," 


IMPORTANCE    OF    ATTENTION    TO    RELIGION.  51 

— love  and  serve  this  Being  with  all  your  powers  1 
And  were  you  led  to  consecrate  yourself  from  that  mo- 
ment to  the  service  of  God,  or  did  you  not  rather  say 
to  that  heavenly  voice — go  thy  lo ay  for  this  time  ? 

You  have  stood  in  the  grey  dusk  of  morn,  and 
while  the  shades  still  hung  over  the  earth,  and  all 
nature  still  shunbered  in  soft  repose,  you  have  seen  a 
faint  streak  of  light  in  the  eastern  sky.  That  faint 
streak,  as  you  gazed  upon  it,  acquired  one  tint  of  bright- 
ness after  another,  till  it  was  expanded  into  a  tide  of 
briliancy  that  chased  away  the  shades  of  darkness, 
and  lit  up  the  whole  heavens  with  all  the  efful- 
gence of  a  risen  sun,  and  as  you  gazed  upon  this 
enrapturing  scene,  a  voice  came  upon  your  ear, 
saying,  "  How  glorious  is  that  God  at  whose  bidding 
the  sun  ariseth — who  appoints  day  and  night,  and 
\vatches  over  all  his  creatures  with  paternal  kindness  I 
Love  this  God  with  all  5^our  heart,  and  serve  Him 
with  all  your  powers."  And  did  you  then  give  up 
your  heart  to  God,  and  commence  a  new  and  holy 
life  :  or  rather,  did  you  not  say — ''Go  thy  way  for  this 
time  V^ 

You  have  stood  in  the  open  field,  and  seen  waving 
before  you  the  varied  products  of  the  earth — the  golden 
wheat,  the  tasselled  corn,  and  the  verdant  grass  ;  and 
every  stalk  of  grain,  and  every  spire  of  grass  that  stood 
before  you,  though  the  chisel  had  never  been  lifted 
upon  it,  nor  the  sound  of  the  saw  or  the  hanmier 
heard  there,  presented  a  specimen  of  the  most  finish- 
ed and  exquisite  workmanship — bespeaking  the  wis- 
dom and  power  of  that  God,  who  ''  causeth  the  grass 
to  grow  for  the  cattle,  and  herb  for  tlie  service  of  man 
— that  he  may  bring  forth  food  out  of  the  earth," — 


62  THE    IMPORTANCE    OF 

and  as  you  have  gazed  upon  the  objects  before  you, 
a  voice  has  come  upon  your  ear,  in  sweet  and  mov- 
ing accents,  saying,  ''  Look  up  with  gratitude  and 
love  to  your  heavenly  benefactor — b.reak  off  all  your 
sins,  and  from  this  hour  commence  a  new  and  holy 
life. ' '  Did  you  immeditaely  obey  that  heavenly  voice  : 
or  rather,  did  you  not  say — Go  thy  way  for  this  time  ? 

You  have  read  in  the  word  of  the  Lord — ''  God 
now  commandeth  all  men  everywhere  to  repent" — 
'•  My  son,  give  me  thy  heart."  Has  this  message  of 
God  prevailed  :  or  rather,  have  you  not  said — Go  thy 
way  for  this  time  ? 

The  ministers  of  Christ  have  come  to  you  and  urg- 
ed you  to  repent  and  turn  unto  the  Lord.  Have  you 
heeded  their  call  1  or  rather,  have  you  not  said  to  them 
one  after  another.  Go  thy  way  for  this  time  ?  And 
finally,  the  spirit  of  God — how  often  has  it  come  on 
an  errand  of  meycy,  to  draw  us  away  from  the  entan- 
glements of  sin,  and  to  place  our  feet  on  the  rock  of 
eternal  safety ;  and  j^et  have  not  some  of  us,  up  to 
this  very  hour,  said  to  that  holy  messenger  of  God,  as 
oft  as  he  has  knocked  at  the  door  of  our  heart — Go  thy 
way  for  this  time  ? 

It  was  thus  with  the  noble  auditor,  in  whose  pres- 
ence the  heaven-commissioned  Apostle  "  reasoned 
of  righteousness,  temperance  and  judgment  to  come." 
As  he  dwelt  upon  these  high  and  solemn  themes,  we 
are  told  that,  "  Felix  trembled  and  answered,  go 
thy  way  for  this  time,  when  I  have  a  convenient  sea- 
son I  will  call  for  thee." 

The  Roman  governor  before  whom  Paul  spoke 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  angry  at  the  liberty 
which  the  Apostle  took  in    speaking  to  him    with 


ATTENTION    TO    RELIGION.  53 

great  plainness  and  fidelity.  He  had  no  objections  to 
offer  to  the  solemn  truths  which  had  been  pressed 
upon  his  heart  and  conscience.  He  virtually  acknow- 
ledges that  those  truths  were  weighty,  and  worthy  of 
profound  and  serious  consideration.  But  he  was  not 
ready  to  attend  to  them  at  that  time  :  he  preferred  to 
postpone  their  consideration  to  a  future  and  more 
convenient  season.  Now  this  indefinite  postpone- 
ment of  the  matter  was  the  ruin  of  Felix,  as  it  has 
been  of  thousands  of  others. 

I  design  to  direct  your  attention,  this  evening,  to  a 
consideration  of  some  of  the  reasons,  why  the  busi- 
ness of  religion  should  be  attended  to  at  once,  rather 
than  at  any  future  season.  Preliminary  to  which,  I 
shall  seek  to  illustrate  the  following  propositions, 
which  are  suggested  by  the  text. 

1.  That  unconverted  men  usualh'  admit  that  the 
business  of  religion  is  important,  and  worth}^  of  their 
attention. 

2.  They  declare  they  cannot  attend  to  it  now. 

3.  They  calculate  to  attend  to  it  at  some  future  sea- 
son. 

1.  Unconverted  men  usually  admit  that  the  busi- 
ness of  religion  is  important,  and  worthy  of  their  at- 
tention. No  man  who  admits  the  truth  of  the  Bible 
— who  admits  that  he  is  living  under  the  divine  gov- 
ernment, and  that  he  is  an  accountable  being,  will 
presume  to  maintain  the  opinion,  that  independently 
of  that  state  of  moral  feeling,  which  true  religion  in- 
duces, any  human  creature  can  be  prepared  to  stand 
at  the  judgment  bar  of  Christ.  There  are  very  few 
indeed  whose  consciences  are  so  seared,  that  they  will 


54  THE    IMPORTANCE    OF 

tell  you — "  we  do  not  mean  to  repent,  and  reform, 
and  become  religious  before  we  die."  On  the  con- 
trary, the  great  mass  of  unconverted  men  calculate  at 
some  future  period  to  attain  this  fitness  for  Heaven, 
which  they  are  sensible  they  do  not  now  possess. 
When  they  are  pressed  on  the  subject  of  the  surren- 
der of  their  hearts  to  God — when  the  truth,  lighted  up 
with  the  brightness  of  the  fires  of  God's  Spirit,  flashes 
in  upon  the  mind  ;  when  conscience,  awoke  from  her 
slumbers,  becomes  loud  and  importunate  in  her  de- 
mands ;  when  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  Saviour 
knock  at  the  door  of  their  heart,  and  the  minister  of 
Christ  presses  them  at  every  point  to  yield  their  souls 
up  to  God,  and  become  his  devoted  people,  they  say, 
' '  go  thy  way — go  thy  way, ' '  For  ever  ?  Oh  no, — '  'go 
thy  way  for  this  time,^^  But  if  they  did  not  regard 
religion  as  infinitely  imjiortant,  and  worthy  of  their 
serious  and  considerate  attention,  why  do  they  not  dis- 
miss the  subject  altogether  and  forever?  Why  do 
they  still  purpose  to  attend  to  it  at  some  future  time  % 
For  no  other  reason  than  that  there  is  a  deep-rooted 
conviction  in  their  hearts  that  the  concerns  of  the  un- 
dying soul  are  of  high  and  everlasting  importance  ! 
Could  every  unconverted  man  in  this  audience  be  as 
thoroughly  convinced  of  the  importance  of  repenting 
NOW,  as  he  is  of  repenting  before  he  dies,  there  would 
not  be  many  pews  in  this  Church  in  which  there 
was  not  Aveeping  and  deep  concern.  Were  I  permit- 
ted to  pass  up  and  down  these  aisles,  and  from  pew 
to  pew  to  ask  each  individual  by  name,  ''  Do  you  de- 
sire that  great  salvation  which  Christ  has  wrought  out? 
Would  you  not  shrink  from  the  thought  of  going  to 
the  tribunal   of  God  in   your  present  unconverted 


ATTENTION    TO    RELIGION.  55 

State  ?"  I  suppose  very  few  would  say,  ''  JVo — I  care 
not  for  the  salvation  of  Christ — I  am  not  afraid  to 
stand  in  my  sins  before  the  Almighty  God  of  Hea- 
ven." There  is  not  a  tongue  that  would  not  falter 
while  speaking  such  words  as  these.  But  I  doubt  not 
there  are  many,  who,  did  they  speak  the  real  senti- 
ments of  their  hearts,  would  say,  '^  Go  thy  way  for  this 
time.^^  I  am  not  ready  to  attend  to  this  business  now, 
but  I  fully  purpose  to  do  so  at  some  future  period." 
Thus  will  it  be  found,  that  a  large  class  of  our  hearers, 
who  are  living  without  repentance  and  without  Christ, 
are  nevertheless  convinced  of  the  importance  of  ulti- 
mately repenting,  and  obtaining  an  interest  in  the 
Redeemer.  It  is  to  this  class  of  hearers  to  whom  we 
shall  particularly  appeal  this  evening. 

2.  Another  idea  suggeste^d  by  ihe  text,  upon  Avhich 
we  proposed  to  dwell  a  moment  was— ^Aa^  unconvert- 
ed men  were  not  ready  to  attend  to  their  salvation  now. 
Nothing  can  be  more  obvious,  or  easily  demonstrated 
than  this.  It  will  not  be  regarded  as  any  breach  of 
Christian  charity  to  suppose,  that  there  are  a  number 
of  unconverted  persons  here  present  in  this  audience. 
Why  do  they  not  repent,  and  turn  to  the  Lord  7  The 
only  reason  is,  that  they  do  not  wish  to  do  so.  They 
are  not  yet  ready.  God  is  ready  to  pardon  them — 
the  Saviovn-  is  ready  to  sprinkle  them  with  the  blood 
of  cleansing — the  Holy  Spirit  is  ready  to  purify,  and 
new-create  theh*  hearts — and  tl\e  herald  of  the  cross 
even  now  calls  upon  them  to  turn  and  live  /  But 
they  do  not  turn  :  and  why  ?  Because  they  are  not 
ready  !  The  awful  pit,  on  whose  slippery  brink  they 
stand,  isieady  to  swallow  them  up  :  and  yet  they  are 


56  THE    IMPORTANCE    OF 

not  ready  to  be  rescued  from  that  perilous  spot,  though 
the  hand  of  infinite  mercy  is  stretched  out  to  rescue 
them. 

We  frequently  meet  with  those  who  say,  "  that 
they  are  ready  and  truly  desirous  to  become  Christians 
— but  that  they  cannot."  Such  persons  either  de- 
ceive themselves,  or  else  they  are  not  sincere  in  what 
they  say.  For  when  the  way  is  clearly  pointed  out 
to  them,  and  they  are  urged  to  enter  upon  it  without 
delay,  they  begin  to  make  excuses,  and  cannot  be 
prevailed  upon  to  take  a  single  step.  They  are  told 
that  they  must  pray — that  they  must  break  off  their 
sins — that  they  must  humble  themselves  before  God, 
and  surrender  to  him  their  hearts.  But  they  cannot 
be  prevailed  upon  to  attempt  to  do  any  one  of  these. 
They  do  not  like  the  way  :  it  is  too  narrow  and  rug- 
ged. They  wish  to  go  to  heaven,  but  they  wish  to  go 
by  some  royal  road,  some  jyrimrose  'path  of  pleasure^ 
where  no  sacrifices  or  difiiculties  are  to  be  encountered. 
They  wish  to  become  Christians — but  without  effort, 
without  repentance,  without  holiness,  which  is  a  con- 
tradiction in  terms.  Or,  in  other  words,  with  all  their 
desires  to  become  Christians,  when  they  understand 
how  much  is  implied  in  that  character,  they  shrink 
from  assuming  the  obligations  it  imposes,  they  are  un- 
willing to  undergo  the  charge  it  demands.  They 
would  like  to  wear  the  crown,  but  they  are  unwilling 
to  bear  the  cross.  They  would  like  to  possess  the 
Pearl,  but  they  are  vmwilling  to  pay  tke  price. 

I  therefore  speak  with  entire  safety,  in  saying,  that 
the  only  reason  why  any  man  in  this  house  remains 
unconverted,  is  that  he  does  not  loish  to  be  converted. 
He  may  wish  to  be  converted  at  some  future  time,  but 


ATTENTION   TO    RELIGION.  57 

he  is  neither  ready  nor  desirous  to  be  converted  now. 
If  he  is,  his  heart  woiihl  be  given  up  to  God  before  he 
leaves  this  sacred  temple. 

I  have  no  doubt  but  tliat  there  may  be  some  now 
present,  wlio  really  believe  the  truth  of  divine  revela- 
tion ;  who  are  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  necessity 
of  conversion,  and  who  sometimes  pray  to  God  that  he 
will  have  mercy  on  them,  and  not  suffer  them  to  go 
down  to  the  pit ;  who  yet  in  their  hearts  desire  to  put 
off  their  salvation  to  some  future  time.  This  was  the 
case  with  St.  Augustine.  He  had  strong  convictions 
in  early  life.  He  often  retired  to  pray.  He  used  to 
implore  God  most  fervently  to  save  his  soul  from  hell : 
but  still  he  wished  to  live  longer  in  sin.  When  his 
mind  was  under  deep  impressions,  he  would  go  to 
some  secret  place,  and,  falling  down  upon  his  knees, 
thus  lift  up  his  petitions  before  God  :  ''Oh,  merciful 
Jehovah,  suffer  me  not  to  perish — bring  me  not  to  thy 
judgment  bar  in  my  sins.  Before  I  pass  into  eternity 
wash  me  in  the  Redeemer's  blood.  Oh,  change  my 
heart,  and  convert  my  soul,  hd  not  yet — not  yet.^'* 

An  instance  somewhat  analogous  to  this,  fell  under 
my  own  observation.  A  young  man,  after  having 
been  brought  to  a  renunciation  of  all  his  sins,  gave 
me  the  following  account  of  himself :  ''I  was  brought 
up  in  a  dwelling  where  the  voice  of  morning  and  even- 
ing prayer  was  daily  heard.  The  very  atmosphere  of 
that  dwelling  was  holy  :  the  sweetest  examples  of  piety 
were  constantly  before  me.  Still  my  wicked  heart 
turned  to  that  which  was  evil.  I  learned  much  that 
was  evil  from  servants  and  my  playmates.  From  my 
earliest  childhood  I  occasionally  had  serious  impres- 
sions ;  but  they  usually  passed  away  '  like  the  morn- 
3* 


58  THE    IMPORTANCE    OF 

ing  cloud,  and  early  dew.'  Before  I  had  arrived  at 
adult  age,  I  had  become  truly  depraved.  There  was 
one  secret  sin  in  which  I  indulged,  that  was  dear  to 
me  as  my  right  hand.  I  used  frequently  to  resolve 
to  repent,  and  give  up  all  my  sins,  but  this.  I  thought 
it  was  so  small  that  God  would  not  cast  me  off  simply 
for  this.  I  used  to  pray  to  him,  and  promise  to  serve 
him  if  he  would  spare  me  this  one  indulgence.  I  used 
to  entreat  him  to  convert  me  and  save  my  soul,  but 
still  to  allow  me  to  retain  this  one  sin.  Blessed  be  his 
name,  my  eyes  were  opened ;  and  I  then  saw  I  was 
cherishing  the  very  spirit  of  rebellion,  that  I  loved  sin 
more  than  God,  and  that  with  such  a  state  of  feeling 
I  never  could  be  converted — that  in  fact  I  was  not  ready 
to  be  converted,  because  I  was  not  willing  to  give 
up  all  my  sins." 

I  must  be  permitted  to  dwell  a  moment  longer  on 
this  point,  to  wit :  That  unconverted  men  are  not 
ready,  nor  willing  to  be  saved  now.  I  have  seen  proof 
of  this  in  a  thousand  forms.  Perhaps  incidents  gather- 
ed from  real  life  here  furnish  the  best  illustration. 
The  following  incident  I  know  to  be  drawn  from  such 
a  source  :  A  young  man  whose  childhood  was  spent 
amid  the  rural  quiet  of  an  agricultural  town,  was,  for 
purposes  of  business,  transplanted  to  a  city.  He  com- 
menced attending  public  worship  in  a  church  that  had 
been  recommended  to  him  by  his  friends.  His  first 
letters  to  his  friends  expressed  the  great  delight  he  ex- 
perienced in  attending  upon  the  services  of  tbat  church. 
The  preaching  was  very  plain,  and  of  an  arousing  cha- 
racter. For  a  while  his  attendance  was  constant.  No 
weather,  nor  state  of  health,  prevented  him  from  being 
in  his  place  on  the  morning  and  afternoon  of  the  Sab- 


ATTENTION    TO    RELIGION.  59 

bath.  No  preacher,  of  whatever  celebrit)/ ,  could  draw 
him  away  from  his  own  church.  With  each  succeed- 
ing sermon  he  was  more  and  more  dehghted.  But  at 
the  very  moment  when  he  was  apparently  becoming 
deeply  interested  in  the  concerns  of  religion,  he  abrupt- 
ly broke  off,  and  obtained  a  seat  in  another  church ; 
and  went  no  more  to  his  former  place  of  worship. 
When  his  friends  were  apprised  of  this  they  wxne 
greatly  astonished,  and  insisted  upon  knowing  the 
cause.  At  length ,  with  great  ingenuousness,  he  replied : 
''  I  left  my  former  place  of  worship,  not  because  I  had 
any  less  respect  for  the  clergyman  who  ministers  there, 
nor  because  I  had  any  new  preferences,  but  because 
I  saw  plainly,  if  I  continued  to  go  there,  and  hear  that 
man  preach,  I  must  become  a  Christian,  and  I  am  not 
ready  yet.^^ 

No  clergyman  has  long  ministered  among  any  peo- 
ple, and  been  faithful  to  them,  who  cannot  point  to 
several  instances,  w^iere  persons  who  have  begun  to 
feel  on  the  subject  of  religion,  or  have  become  so  far 
interested  in  the  truth,  that  convictions  of  sin  began 
to  fasten  upon  tiieir  minds,  and  they  saw  they  must 
do  one  of  two  things — become  converted  to  God,  or 
keep  away  from  the  place  where  the  truth  was  pressed 
upon  their  attention, — have  dehberately  left  attend- 
ance upon  public  worship,  and  sought  to  spend  their 
Sabbath  in  some  other  way.  They  were  not  ready  to  be 
converted.  As  one  message  of  truth  came  to  them  after 
another,  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  they  continued  to 
say,  ''go  thy  way— go  thy  way  ;^^  but  inasmuch  as  the 
Spirit  of  God  would  not  let  the  truth  go  away  from 
them,  but  kept  sounding  it  in  their  ears,  they  deter- 


60  THE    IMPORTANCE    OF 

mined  they  would  go  away  from  hearing  the  truth,  and 
thus  the  house  of  God  was  abandoned. 

Many  persons  do  not  attend  the  prayer  meeting  or 
the  weekly  lecture,  not  because  they  have  not  leisure 
and  opportunity — but  because  they  are  not  ready  to 
become  Christians.  They  are  not  disposed  to  put 
themselves  under  the  influence  of  truth. 

Some  are  not  ready  to  become  Christians  because 
they  are  engaged  in  a  business,  or  are  carrying  it  on 
upon  principles  incompatible  with  the  holy  require- 
ments of  Christianity.  Others  have  plans  of  raising 
themselves  in  the  world  which  the  Gospel  does  not 
sanction.  Others  wish  to  indulge  in  amusements  and 
pleasures  which  the  Bible  interdicts.  All  unconverted 
men  have  some  reason  for  wishing  to  put  off  the  busi- 
ness of  religion.  They  are  not  ready  yet.  Their 
language  is,  ''  Go  thy  way  for  this  time.^^ 

3.  And,  Thirdly — It  may  safely  be  afiirmed,  that 
none  who  acknowledge  the  truth  of  the  Bible,  ever 
make  up  their  minds  to  dismiss  the  subject  of  religion 
altogether,  and  for  ever.  They  calculate  to  attend  to  it 
at  some  future  time^  "  When  I  have  a  convenient 
season,  I  will  send  for  thee."  Unconverted  men, 
whenever  their  attention  is  called  to  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion, silence  the  rebukes  of  conscience,  by  the  secret 
promise  which  they  make  to  themselves,  that  they  will 
repent  before  they  die.  They  by  no  means  feel  wil- 
ling to  meet  God  as  they  now  are.  They  by  no  means 
conclude  to  be  lost.  They  are  far  from  resolving  to 
throw  away  the  hopes  of  the  gospel,  and  go  down  to 
the  burning  pit.  JVb  ;  they  mean  to  be  saved.  They 
mean  to  become  real  Christians  before  they  die.     They 


ATTENTION   TO   RELIGION.  61 

are  looking  forward  to  some  future  period,  when  there 
will  be  fewer  difficulties  in  the  way,  and  they  shall 
feel  more  inclined  to  enter  upon  this  work  than  they 
are  at  present.  "  Go  thy  way  for  this  time;  when  I 
have  a  convenient  season^  1  will  call  for  thee.^^  This  is 
the  fatal  rock  on  which  thousands  are  wrecked  for 
eternity.  There  is  no  delusion  which  oftener  seizes 
upon  the  human  mind  than  this. 

When  men  are  in  some  degree  awakened  to  a  sense 
of  the  importance  of  divine  things,  they  feel  uneasy 
and  unhappy  in  their  minds  ;  and  instead  of  going 
directly  to  the  foot  of  the  cross  to  obtain  pardon  and  a 
title  to  everlasting  life,  they  are  much  more  inclined 
to  seek  deliverance  from  this  painful  state  of  feeling, 
by  trying  to  get  rid  of  their  serious  impressions.  If 
through  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  conscience  con- 
tinues to  lift  up  her  stern  and  awful  voice,  a  usual 
expedient  to  which  Satan  then  tempts  unconverted 
men  to  resort,  in  order  to  silence  this  voice,  is  to  re- 
solve that  they  will  seek  salvation  at  some  future  time. 
It  is  this  fearful  experiment,  this  unsafe  and  hazard- 
ous postponement,  that  I  particularly  desire  to  dissuade 
my  hearers  from.  If  the  considerations  presented  last 
Sunday  evening  aroused  any  to  feel  solicitude  in  re- 
lation to  the  subject  of  their  Salvation,  I  would  beseech 
them,  by  all  that  is  dear  and  sacred  to  their  souls,  to 
consider  the  strong  reasons  which  exist  to  urge  them 
to  attend  to  the  work  of  Salvation  now. 

My  dying  liearers,  I  come  to  you  to-night  in  the 
name  of  the  Most  High  God  to  declare  to  you,  upon 
the  authority  of  his  word,  that  pardon  and  everlasting 
life  are  freely  offered  you.     We  lay  the  pearl  of  great 


62  THE    IMPORTANCE   OF 

price  down  at  your  feet.     Will  you  accept  it  ?     We 
want  your  answer. 

Are  there  any  who  w^ill  say, ''  Go  thy  way,  minister  ; 
go  thy  way,  Holy  Spirit ;  go  away,  all  ye  that  would 
lead  me  to  Christ.  Inever  mean  to  he  a  Christian  ?" 
JVb  ;  but  doubtless  there  are  those,  who  will  say  in 
their  hearts,  "  Go  thy  way  for  this  time  ;  when  I  have 
a  convenient  season  I  will  call  for  thee."  I  fully  in- 
tend to  become  religious  at  some  future  time,  but  I  am 
not  ready  at  present.  These  persons  plainly  see,  that 
their  everlasting  all  depends  upon  their  submission  to 
God,  but  they  think  that  there  are  so  many  obstacles 
in  the  way,  that  they  cannot  determine  to  make  that 
submission  at  once.  They  therefore  intend  to  wait  till 
a  more  auspicious  moment  arrives.  W^ith  this  class  of 
persons  I  desire  most  affectionately  and  earnestly  to 
expostulate. 

Before  I  advance  a  single  argument  to  show  the  folly, 
and  guilt,  and  danger  of  the  course  upon  which 
you  have  resolved,  allow  me  to  inquire  :  Have  you 
fixed  any  definite  time  in  your  mind,  when  you  will 
attend  to  this  important  business  1  Is  it  possible  that 
you  have  determined  to  postpone  the  business  of  your 
salvation,  and  yet  have  not  fixed  upon  any  time  in 
your  own  mind,  when  you  will  attend  to  it  ?  Do  you 
thus  transact  your  worldly  business  ?  And  is  not  the 
salvation  of  your  undying  soul  a  matter  of  importance 
enough,  to  secure  in  its  behalf  from  you  the  prudence, 
and  wise  calculation,  and  thought,  and  attention,  that 
you  give  every  day  to  your  ordinary  business  1 

And  yet  I  will  venture  to  affirm,  that  there  is  not 
an  individual  here  who  has  concluded  to  put  off  till  a 


ATTENTION    TO    RELIGION.  63 

future  period,  consideration  of  the  thing's  of  eternity, 
that  has  decided,  in  his  own  niind,  upon  a  time  when 
he  will  attend  to  it.  Need  I  tell  a  business  man  that 
affairs  that  are  thus  indefinitely  postponed  will  never 
be  attended  to  ?  We  are  certain  of  no  time  but  the 
present.  ^'Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time."  I 
wish  to  persuade  every  one  who  has  hitherto  neg"- 
lected  the  concerns  of  his  soul,  to  begin  to  attend  to 
them  noic — to-night.  "  Behold,  now  is  the  accepted 
time." 

To  defer  the  w^ork  of  one's  salvation  a  single  hour 
is  absurd,  dangerous,  and  wicked.  These  several 
points,  I  shall  endeavour  fully  to  illustrate. 

I.  To  defer  the  work  oi  one's  salvation  a  single 
hour  is  absurd. 

We  call  that  absurd  which  is  contrary  to  reason,  or 
contrary  to  some  evident  truth.  To  defer  making 
one's  peace  with  God — with  that  infinite  Being,  who 
holds  every  living  creature  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand, 
and  w^ho  has  only  to  turn  over  his  hand  and  they  drop 
instantly  into  perdition — to  defer  making  one's  peace 
with  Him,  is  most  manifestly  contrary  to  reason.  To 
continue  in  a  state  of  unregeneracy  and  sin,  under  the 
idea  that  this  state  will  yield  richer  enjoyment,  and 
higher  pleasure  than  a  converted  state,  is  most  mani- 
festly contrary  to  the  evident  truth,  that  we  can  be 
happy,  and  truly  blest,  only  in  a  state  of  peace  and 
reconciliation  with  God.  Let  us  examine  some  of  the 
reasons  which  lead  men  to  put  off  the  work  of  their 
salvation. 

(1.)  One  of  those  reasons  that  influence  uncon- 
verted  men,  is,  the  secret  hope  that   the  demands 


64  THE    IMPORTANCE   OF 

of  religion  will  at  some  future  time  be  lowered ;  or, 
that  God  will  consent  to  receive  sinners  on  easier 
terms  than  those  now  offered.  This  expectation  is 
built  entirely  upon  the  implied  position,  that  we  have 
to  do  with  a  Being  who  is  mutable  and  vacillating-^ 
a  Being  who,  if  He  cannot  bring  us  to  His  terms,  will 
come  down  to  ours.  Need  I  say  that  the  Bible  declares 
that  these  ideas  are  utterly  erroneous  1  that  it  bears  its 
unqualified  testimony,  that  God  is  unchangeable,  '^  the 
same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever  ?"  Never,  while 
He  sits  upon  the  throne  of  the  universe,  will  God  recede 
by  one  iota  from  the  demands  of  the  gospel.  In  the 
ample  provisions  of  grace,  God  has  done  all  that  he 
ever  will  for  the  salvation  of  unconverted  men.  He 
has  sent  his  Son  to  redeem  them  from  death — the  Holy 
Ghost  to  enlighten,  renew,  and  change  their  hearts — 
and  his  ministers  to  call  upon  them  to  '^  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come.^^  He  tells  them,  if  they  will  repent 
— if  they  will  humble  themselves  before  him — if 
they  will  break  off  their  sins — commit  their  souls  into 
the  hands  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ — enter  upon  a  new 
and  holy  life,  and  make  it  their  great  study  and  busi- 
ness to  glorify  Him,  He  will  write  their  names  in  the 
Book  of  Life,  and  finally  bring  them  to  Mount  Zion, 
with  songs  and  everlasting  joy.  He  will  never  re- 
ceive them  on  any  other  terms.  He  is  under  no  obli- 
gation to  receive  them  at  all.  His  justice  would  for 
ever  stand  acquitted,  if  he  should  leave  every  sinner 
to  eat  the  fruit  of  his  own  doings. 

Let  this  solemn  truth  be  duly  weighed  by  every  un- 
converted man.  As  a  transgressor  of  God's  law,  you 
have  cut  yourself  off  from  every  claim  to  happiness 
and  heaven.     If  God  lets  you  take  your  own  course, 


ATTENTION   TO    RELIGION.  65 

you  will  certainly  go  down  to  the  pit  of  everlasting 
wo.  He  is  under  no  obligation  to  rescue  you  ;  he  is 
under  no  obligation  to  receive  you.  You  do  God  no 
favor — you  put  Him  under  no  obligation,  by  becom- 
ing a  Christian.  He  can  do  without  you.  Heaven 
will  be  tilled  with  inhabitants,  though  you  are  not 
there.  If  you  will  not  comply  wuth  God's  terms,  then 
there  is  but  one  alternative, — you  nuist  sink  down  into 
the  everlasting  fnes  of  perdition  !  How  absurd,  then, 
is  it,  to  put  off  the  business  of  salvation,  under  the 
idea  that  the  demands  of  religion  will  not  be  so  high 
or  strict,  at  some  future  period,  as  they  are  now  ! 
God  requires  no  more  now,  than  he  wall  require  at 
every  future  moment  of  your  life.  His  demand  is, 
"My  son,  give  me  thy  heart, '^^  '^Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved."  There  never 
will  be  a  time,  when  God  will  receive  us  on  any  other 
terms.  Without  true  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  a  renewal  of  the  heart,  there  is  no  salvation. 

(2.)  Another  idea  entertained  by  unconverted  men, 
and  which  often  leads  them  to  put  off  the  work  of 
their  salvation  is,  the  belief  that  it  will  be  less  diffi- 
cult to  enter  upon  a  religious  life  at  some  future  pe- 
riod than  at  present.  They  calculate  that  the  causes 
that  are  in  operation  around  them,  will  continue 
to  act,  till,  in  some  way  or  other,  they  will  produce 
in  them  a  greater  fitness,  or  readiness  to  enter  upon 
this  w^ork.  Now,  it  is  easily  demonstrable,  that  the 
reverse  of  all  this  is  true.  The  longer  men  continue 
in  a  state  of  impenitence,  the  greater  difficulty  will 
they  experience,  in  ever  turning  from  that  state. 
Early  life  is  the  most  favourable  season  in  which  to 
enter  upon  the  duties  of  religion.     There  are  peculiar 


66  THE    IMPORTANCE    OF 

promises  addressed  to  the  young.  ^'  They  that  seek 
me  early,  shall  find  me."  The  farther  any  one  ad- 
vances in  life,  neglecting  the  great  concerns  of  his 
soul,  the  more  difiicult  will  he  find  it  to  stop  in  his 
downward  career,  and  enter  the  strait  gate.  Cares 
constantly  multiply ;  habits  that  must  be  given  up, 
are,  every  hour,  gaining  new  strength  ;  evil  passions 
are  acquiring  augmented  force ;  the  affections  are  be- 
coming more  and  more  estranged  from  God  ;  and  the 
heart,  every  day,  is  growing  harder  and  harder. 

As  a  general  principle,  men,  after  they  become  ad- 
vanced in  life,  do  not  feel  half  as  much  inclined  to 
attend  to  the  concerns  of  their  souls,  as  they  did  in 
early  life.  In  proof  of  this,  we  might  refer  to  the 
fact,  that  men  who  live  in  impenitence  till  they  be- 
come old  and  grey-headed,  seldom  turn  to  the  Lord. 
The  instances  of  conversion,  beyond  the  period  of 
fifty,  are  xery  rare.  At  that  period,  men  seldom 
change  their  habits  in  anything  ;  and  certain  it  is, 
that  the  simple  circumstance,  that  they  are  in  the  de- 
cline of  life,  does  not,  of  itself,  make  them  any  more 
inclined  to  enter  upon  the  work  of  salvation. 

I  once  heard  from  the  lips  of  an  aged  man,  an 
aftecting  testimony  to  this  very  point. 

He  was  present  on  an  occasion  when  a  solemn  ap- 
peal was  made  to  the  young,  to  yield  themselves  up 
to  God  in  the  freshness  of  their  young  existence.  The 
preacher,  in  the  course  of  his  remarks,  observed :  ''That 
in  the  morning  of  life,  we  usually  thought,  that,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  Avhen  we  grew  old,  we  shoidd  feel 
willing,  ready,  and  desirous  to  attend  to  the  things  of 
religion.  But  on  the  contrary,  when  age  came  steal- 
ing on,  we  should  find  in  our  hearts  the  same  reluc- 


ATTENTION    TO    RELIGION.  67 

tance,  the  same  baokwaidncss,  the  same  or  greater  un- 
willingness to  commence  this  work,  as  at  any  former 
period." 

As  the  preacher  came  down  from  the  pulpit,  this 
aged  man,  who  was  highly  respectable,  uniformly 
correct  in  his  external  deportment,  and  constant  in  his 
attendance  upon  divine  service,  came  forward,  and 
extending  his  hand  to  him,  with  much  emotion,  re- 
marked :  "  Sir,  what  }ou  said  just  now,  is  un- 
questionably true.  I  know  it  from  my  own  experi- 
ence. AYhen  I  was  young,  I  said  to  myself,  I  cannot 
give  up  the  world  now,  but  I  will,  by  and  bye,  when 
I  have  passed  the  meridian  of  life,  and  begin  to  sink 
into  the  vale  of  years  ;  then  Iwill  become  a  Christian  ; 
then  I  shall  be  ready  to  attend  to  the  concerns  of  my 
soul.  But  here  I  am,  an  old  man.  I  am  not  a  Chris- 
tian. I  feel  no  readiness,  nor  disposition  to  enter  upon 
the  work  of  my  salvation.  In  looking  back,  I  often- 
times feel  as  though  I  Avould  give  worlds  if  I  could  be 
placed  where  I  was,  when  I  was  twenty  years  old. 
There  were  not  half  as  many  difficulties  in  my  path 
then  as  there  are  now."  Though  this  man  spake  thus 
— and  the  big  tears  coursed  down  his  cheek,  as  he 
gave  utterance  to  these  truths, — the  emotions  that  were 
then  stirred  up  within  him  passed  away  like  the  early 
dew.  He  did  not  turn  to  God  ;  he  remains  unconvert- 
ed ;  and  there  is  fearful  reason  to  expect  that  he  will 
furnish  another  awful  illustration  of  the  truth,  that 
they  who  put  off  the  work  of  their  salvation,  under  the 
belief  that  it  will  be  less  difficult  to  enter  upon  a  reli- 
gious life  at  some  future  period  than  at  present,  will 
die  in  unregeneracy  and  sin. 

(3.)   Unconverted  men  often  persuade  themselves 


68  THE   IMPORTANCE  OF 

that  sickness,  or  the  near  approach  of  death,  will  over- 
come the  reluctance  which  they  now  feel,  to  attend  to 
the  concerns  of  their  soul.  They  hope  that  if  no 
changes  around  them  make  them  ready  and  desirous 
to  become  religious,  the  near  prospect  of  deadi  will  sub- 
due all  the  opposition  they  feel,  and  attract  them  pow- 
erfully towards  religion.  This  idea,  however,  is  en- 
tirely erroneous.  Were  they  able  to  analyze  their 
own  feelings,  they  would  find  that  the  only  reason 
why  they  are  not  willing  now  to  enter  upon  a  reli- 
gious life,  is  that  they  have  within  them  that  "  carnal 
mind  which  is  enmity  against  God."  No  change  of 
situation,  no  external  circumstances,  will  subdue  that 
enmity.  It  is  a  part  of  the  very  nature  of  an  unre- 
newed heart.  Nothing  can  subdue  or  alter  it  but  the 
power  of  God. 

The  idea  that  unconverted  men  will  be  willing  to 
repent,  willing  to  have  a  new  heart,  willing  to  become 
truly  religious,  when  they  are  brought  down  to  death's 
door,  is  altogether  fallacious.  It  is  true  that  when 
men  think  that  they  are  going  to  die,  and  drop  into 
perdition,  they  are  often  filled  with  alarm,  and  evince 
no  little  anxiety  about  their  eternal  destiny.  But  re- 
move the  fear  of  death,  and  all  their  anxiety  ceases. 
It  was  not  because  they  were  willing  to  be  religious, 
or  that  they  had  any  real  desire  to  love  and  serve 
God,  but  simply  because  they  Avished  to  escape  de- 
vouring flames,  that  they  then  asked  for  prayer  and 
religious  counsel.  There  is  no  more  true  religion  in 
such  paroxysms  of  fear,  than  there  is  in  the  emotions 
cherished  by  the  demons  in  the  pit  below.  For  we 
read  that  "  the  devils  believe  and  tremble. ^"^ 

I   again  affirm,  that  the   simple   circumstance  of 


ATTENTION    TO    RELIGION.  69 

death's  being  at  hand,  docs  not  of  itself  render  any 
man  more  willing  to  repent,  than  if  it  were  known  to 
be  far  olT.  I  once  witnessed  a  very  melancholy  ex- 
emplification of  the  truth  of  this  remark.  I  was  re- 
quested to  visit  a  man,  who  was  under  sentence  of 
death.  He  was  a  veteran  in  vice,  but  his  career  was 
now  nearly  run.  He  had  not  been  brought  up  in  ig- 
norance of  his  duty.  He  acknowledged  that  he  fully 
believed  that  the  Scriptures  were  a  divine  revelation, 
that  he  was  an  accountable  being,  and  that  after  death 
he  must  stand  at  the  bar  of  God,  and  be  judged  for  the 
deeds  done  in  the  body.  Though  spotted  with  crime, 
and  on  the  very  brink  of  eternity,  his  heart  continued 
as  hard  and  unmoved,  as  it  was  when  success  seemed 
to  crown  every  lawless  enterprise  he  undertook  ;  and 
every  arm  that  could  arrest  him  was  held  in  abeyance. 
He  was  unwilling  to  bestow  one  thought  upon  the  fu- 
ture. I  found  him  lying  stretched  on  a  bundle  of 
straw,  in  his  dusky  prison  cell,  trying  to  sleep.  Af- 
ter I  had  entered,  and  heard  the  iron  bolt  turn  upon 
us,  and  found  myself  locked  in  with  this  murderer,  a 
feeling  of  horror  for  an  instant  crept  over  me.  But 
when  I  saw  the  chain  that  was  around  his  ancle,  one 
end  of  which  was  attached  to  a  staple  in  the  floor, 
w^hen  I  remembered  that  he  was  one  of  my  own  spe- 
cies, and  one  for  whom  Christ  had  died,  and  that 
he  was  on  the  brink  of  an  awful  eternity,  the  senti- 
ments of  compassion  prevailed  and  overpowered  every 
other  feeling.  I  told  him  that  I  had  come  as  his  friend, 
to  see  if  I  could  do  anything  towards  guiding  him  to 
the  feet  of  that  Saviour,  "  whose  blood  cleanseth  from 
all  sin."     As  soon  as  I  had  told  him  my  errand,  he 


70  THE    IMPORTANCE    OF 

immediately  closed  his  eyes,  as  though  determined  to 
divert  his  thoughts  from  every  serious  subject. 

After  having  spoken  to  him  awhile,  during  which 
time  he  manifested  the  same  uneasiness  that  I  have 
often  observed  in  others,  when  addressed  personally 
on  the  subject  of  their  souls,  I  said  to  him  :  ''  Do  tell 
me-  what  you  think  of  these  things  1  Have  you  re- 
pented, have  you  looked  to  God  through  Christ  for 
mercy  ?  Where  do  you  expect  to  dwell  through  eter- 
nity— in  heaven,  or  in  hell  1  What  is  your  own  opi- 
nion as  to  this  matter  V^  ''Oh,"  said  he,  with  a  most 
chilling  air  of  indifference,  ''  I  do  not  know  :  I  have 
not  thought  much  about  it,"  His  whole  manner 
clearly  showed  that  he  felt  an  invincible  reluctance  to 
say  anything  on  the  subject  of  his  future  destiny.  But 
I  could  not  let  him  rest  so,  and  therefore  said  :  "  You 
know  that  in  less  than  three  days  you  are  to  die.  In 
three  days  from  this  time,  your  soul  will  be  in  Heaven 
or  Hell — and  yet,  you  tell  me,  you  have  not  thought 
much  about  it  I  Will  you  not  think  about  it  ?  Will 
you  not  begin  to  pray,  and  cry  unto  God  for  mercy  '?" 

What  do  you  think  was  his  reply  ?  Turning  his 
face  from  me,  and  pulling  the  piece  of  blanket  wdiich 
covered  him,  over  his  eyes,  he  remarked:  "  I  have 
been  troubled  w^ith  a  head-ache  to-day,  and  I  can't 
think  much  about  this  now."  This  was  all  that  could 
be  drawn  from  him  ;  though  in  less  than  three  days 
he  was  to  be  in  eternity,  he  felt  just  the  same  reluc- 
tance and  unwillingness  to  think  about  a  preparation, 
as  he  had  done  in  the  early  part  of  his  course. 

This  instance  shows  that  the  near  approach  of  death 
does  not  change  one's  heart,  or  make  him  any  more 
willing  to  love  God.      He,  therefore,  who  puts  off  his 


ATTENTION    TO    RELIGION.  71 

ealvation,  under  the  idea  that  a  more  convenient  sea- 
son will  arrive,  acts  contrary  to  the  plainest  dictates 
of  reason.  Such  a  season  will  never  come.  The 
same  reasons  that  incline  him  to  wish  to  defer  this 
business  to-day,  will  operate  with  equal  force  to-mor- 
row, and  the  next  day,  and  the  next  week,  and  the  next 
year,  till  all  his  years,  and  weeks,  and  days  are  gone, 
and  he  is  in  eternity,  with  the  whole  load  of  his  sins 
upon  him !  To  exhibit  still  farther  the  absurdity  of  post- 
poning the  work  of  salvation,  consider  for  a  moment, 
what  this  is,  which  reason,  and  conscience,  and  God 
urge  upon  your  immediate  acceptance  ?  What  is  this 
which  unconverted  men  are  so  unwilling  to  accept  1 
It  is  an  everlasting  friendship  with  the  Most  High.  The 
great  God  of  Heaven  offers  to  receive  you  as  his  child,  to 
blot  out  all  your  sins,  to  w^ite  your  name  in  the  Book 
of  life,  and  to  make  you  the  recipient  of  that  heavenly 
grace,  which  will  assimilate  your  nature  with  his^  and 
finally  conduct  you  to  the  eternal  mount  of  blessedness. 
But  you  reply  to  God  and  say,  ''No,  not  yet — I 
cannot  consent  to  have  this  friendship  yet.  I  can- 
not consent  to  have  my  sins  blotted  out  yet.  I  cannot 
consent  to  have  my  name  written  in  the  Book  of  life 
to-night.  This  converting  grace  must  not  be  imparted 
to  me  now.  Let  me  live  a  few  years  longer  without 
God  in  the  world.  '  Go  thy  way  for  this  time.'^  "  This 
is  the  very  language  which  every  man,  who  concludes 
to  delay  repentance,  is  uttering  in  the  ear  of  Jehovah  ! 
And  does  it  not  in  truth  appear  like  madness  ? 

Again  :  In  our  last  discourse  we  saw  that  uncon- 
verted men  were  under  present  condemnation,  and 
that  every  step  they  took  was  conducting  them  on- 


72  THE    IMPORTANCE    OF 

ward  towards  the  gates  of  perdition.  To  put  off  the 
work  of  salvation,  then,  is  virtually  to  say,  "  I  know 
that  the  wrath  of  God  rests  upon  me.  I  know,  unless 
it  is  withdrawn,  and  turned  away,  it  will  fill  me  with 
anguish  indescribable  through  eternity  :  it  Avill  be  like 
the  fervid  heat  of  a  furnace,  scorching  and  burning 
up  my  soul !  I  know  that  God  offers  to  remove  from 
me  this  wrath  now — but  I  am  not  yet  ready  to  have 
him  do  so.  I  know,  that  every  step  I  take,  brings 
me  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  pit  of  perdition,  and  that 
I  am  liable  every  instant  to  step  off  into  a  ruined  eter- 
nity— but  I  wish  to  go  on  a  little  farther  before  I  turn." 
This  is  what  every  unconverted  man  is  daily  saying. 
Are  not  such  views  and  conduct  absurd  1 

I  shall  not  be  able  to  complete  the  illustration  of 
this  point  this  evening.  The  subject  will  be  pursued 
in  the  next  discourse  :  in  which  I  shall  also  attempt 
to  show  that  to  defer  one's  salvation  a  single  hour  is 
both  dangerous  and  wicked.  But  have  I  not  already 
convinced  you,  my  hearer,  that  it  is  the  best  and  safest 
course  to  seek  salvation  now  ? 

Do  not  forget  that  before  I  am  permitted  to  pursue 
my  argument  next  Sunday  evening,  your  day  of  grace 
may  be  over,  and  your  doom  sealed  up  for  eternity. 
"Will  you  not  then  ''  seek  the  Lord  while  he  may  be 
found,  and  call  upon  him  while  he  is  near  V^ 

Grant,  0  merciful  God,  that  as  thine  holy  Apostle 
St.  James,  leaving  his  father  and  all  that  he  had, 
without  delay  ^  was  obedient  unto  the  calling  of  thy  Son, 
Jesus  Christ,  and  followed  him  ;  so  we,  being  solemn- 
ly called  by  the  same  Saviour  to  immediate  repent- 


ATTENTION    TO    RELIGION.  73 

ance,  may  we  heed  this  call — forsake  all  carnal  and 
worldly  affections — be  evermore  ready  to  follow  thy 
holy  commandments,  and  steadfastly  walk  in  the  way 
that  leadeth  to  eternal  life,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.     Amen. 


DISCOURSE    IV. 

THE    ABSURDITY,  DANGER   AND    GUILT  OF  PROCRASTINA- 
TION IN  RELIGION. 

"Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time." — 2  Cor.,  vi.  2. 
"  Go  thy  way  for  this  time ;  when  I  have  a  convenient  season  I  will 
call  for  thee." — Acts,  xxiv.  25. 

The  population  of  Earth  is  made  up  of  two  great 
divisions ;  the  one  are  the  pardoned,  justified,  rege- 
nerate children  of  God,  whom  He  is  conducting  to 
the  celestial  city ;  the  other,  the  unconverted  and 
impenitent,  uho  are  condemned  already,  and  are 
under  sentence  of  everlasting  exclusion  from  the 
kingdom  of  glory.  To  this  latter  division,  however, 
a  message  has  been  sent  from  the  throne  of  God  Him- 
self, bearing  upon  it  His  seal  and  signature,  assuring 
them,  that  if  they  will  stop  in  their  career  of  disobe- 
dience, and  embrace  Christ  immediately  as  their  Sa- 
viour, he  will  remove  the  sentence  of  condemnation 
that  hangs  over  their  souls,  and  receive  them  into 
favour.  He  makes  no  promise  for  any  future  period, 
but  to-day — at  this  time — now^  he  will  confer  this  great 
blessing  upon  them.  Hence,  he  sends  forth  his  am- 
bassadors to  proclaim,  in  the  language  of  the  text, 
'^  Behold^  7101V  is  the  accepted  time.^^  Whoever  Avishes 
to  have  all  his  sins  blotted  out — whoever  wishes  to  be 


DANGER   OF   PROCRASTINATION    IN    RELIGION.        75 

made  holy,  and  have  all  the  joys  of  heaven  eternally 
secured  to  him,  has  an  opportunity  now. 

Such  is  the  message  that  I  have  to  deliver  to  you 
this  evening.  The  gates  of  heaven  are  wide  open  to 
receive  you.  God,  bending  from  his  eternal  throne, 
is  NOW  waiting  to  be  gracious.  All  things  in  hea- 
ven and  on  earth  are  ready.  Behold,  now  is  the 
accepted  time  !  What  say  you  ?  Will  you  have  ever- 
lasting life  now?  Will  you  have  your  name  enrolled 
in  the  Lamb's  Book  of  Life  to-night?  What  answer 
shall  I  carry  back  to  that  Eternal  Being,  on  whose 
errand  I  come?  Ah  !  do  you  say  to  me,  "Go  thy 
way  for  this  time  ;  when  I  have  a  convenient  season, 
I  will  call  for  thee?"  Then  must  we  pursue  the 
topic  under  consideration  last  Sunday  evening — the 
reasons  why  the  busitiess  of  religion  should  be  attended  to 
at  once,  rather  than  at  any  future  period. 

The  position  was  laid  down  in  the  preceding  dis- 
course, ''  that  to  defer  the  work  of  one's  salvation  a 
single  hour,  was  absurd^  dangerous^  and  wicked.^ ^  We 
advanced  a  variety  of  considerations,  to  show  the  ab- 
surdity of  such  a  step  ;  although  we  did  not  complete 
the  illustration.  We  purpose,  this  evening,  to  go  on 
with  this  illustration,  and  also,  to  show  the  danger 
and  guilt  of  procrastination  in  religion.  May  that 
Eternal  Spirit,  who  alone  can  effectually  open  the  ear 
and  touch  the  heart,  overshadow  this  assembl}^,  while 
I  attempt  to  speak  upon  these  points ! 

1.  To  recur,  then,  to  the  topic  which  has  been  par- 
tially considered,  I  again  affirm,  "  That  to  defer  the 
work  of  one's  salvation  a  single  hour,  is  absurd.'^ 
Similar  conduct  in  the  management  of  one's  worldly 


7Q  DANGER   AND    GUILT    OF 

affairs  would  be  unhesitatingly  pronounced  absurd. 
What  man  is  there  that  visits  the  Exchange,  or  that 
is  engaged  in  traffic,  if  an  offer  were  made  to  him  by 
way  of  bargain,  by  which  he  was  absolutely  certain 
that  he  could  become  independently  rich — by  which 
he  would  be  put  into  possession  of  immense  resources, 
so  that  he  could  ever  after  live  in  ease,  and  have  the 
means  of  promoting,  to  almost  any  extent,  the  happi- 
ness of  his  species,  and  the  great  interests  of  Christian 
benevolence,  that  would  not  immediately  accept  such 
an  offer  7  Who  is  there  that  would  reject  this  offer, 
upon  the  slender  probability  that  it  might  at  some  fu- 
ture time  be  made  again  ?  And  should  any  one  reject 
such  an  offer  upon  such  a  probability,  who  would  not 
regard  that  man  as  absolutely  beside  himself? 

But  here  is  an  offer  which  confers  a  kingdom — a 
crown ;  which  confers  unsearchable  riches,  endless 
life,  all  the  glories  of  heaven.  It  is  an  offer  made  to 
every  man  in  this  temple,  and  may  never  be  made 
again.  In  reference  to  this  offer,  God  Himself  says, 
^'  Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time  !"  And  yet,  un- 
converted men  say,  "  We  are  not  ready  to  close  in 
with  this  offer  yet ;  go  thy  way  for  this  time — when 
we  have  a  convenient  season,  we  will  call  for  thee." 
What  shall  we  think  of  such  conduct? 

Again.  Here  is  a  man  who  has  been  engaged  in 
an  extensive  business,  by  means  of  which  a  tide  of 
wealth  seemed  to  be  rolling  in  upon  him.  But  at  the 
very  height  of  his  prosperity,  an  untoward  event 
changed  the  whole  aspect  of  his  affairs.  This  was 
the  commencement  of  a  series  of  misfortunes,  by 
which  all  that  he  had,  has  been  brought  under  judg- 
ments and  liens,  and  he  has  before  him   not  only  the 


PROCRASTINATION    IN    RELIGION.  77 

prospect  of  bankruptcy,  but  of  utter  destitution  and 
want.  His  principal  creditor,  and  one  who  holds 
by  far  the  largest  number  of  the  judgment-bonds 
upon  his  estate,  is  a  very  wealthy  man.  He  is  now 
on  his  dying  bed.  He  may  not  live  a  day  or  an  hour 
longer.  This  dying  creditor  sends  a  message  to  this 
unfortunate  man,  stating  to  him,  that  if  he  will  visit 
him  and  bring  along  a  proper  officer  to  draw  up  an 
instrument  of  release,  he  will  sign  with  his  dying  hand 
that  instrument,  which  AviU  relieve  him  from  all  his 
present  embarrassments,  and  leave  him  in  possession 
of  all  his  former  property.  Now,  what  would  you 
think  of  this  debtor,  if  he  should  say  to  the  messenger 
who  brought  him  this  intelligence,  "  This  is  a  most 
generous  offer  ;  it  is  precisely  what  I  want.  But  I 
am  so  busy  now  I  cannot  attend  to  it.  To-morrow, 
or  next  week,  or  next  year,  I  hope  to  have  more  lei- 
sure, and  then  I  shall  be  better  prepared  to  attend  to 
this  matter.  Go  thy  way  for  this  time  ;  when  I  have 
a  convenient  season  I  will  call  for  thee."  Who 
would  not  think  such  a  man  beside  himself,  and  such, 
conduct  perfect  madness?  But  would  there  be  as 
much  absurdity  in  such  conduct,  as  there  is  in  that 
man's,  who,  by  breaking  the  divine  law,  has  become 
an  infinite  debtor  to  God  ;  who  has  nothing  to  pay, 
and  is  therefore  under  sentence  of  everlasting  banish- 
ment from  the  presence  of  God  ;  is  actually  doomed 
to  be  shut  up  for  ever  in  the  dark  prison-house  of  end- 
less despair,  and  to  whom  Jehovah  has  sent  an  offer 
of  entire  release,  upon  the  most  simple  and  easy  con- 
ditions, if  it  is  accepted  at  once.  And  yet  this  man 
says  to  the  messenger  of  the  Lord,  ^'  I  am  not  pre- 
pared to  attend  to  this  business  now :  go  thy  way 


78  DANGER   AND    GUILT    OF 

for  this  time  ;  when  I  have  a  convenient  season  I  will 
call  for  thee." 

Allow  me  to  introduce  still  another  illustration,  to 
show  the  great  absurdity  of  putting  off  one's  salvation. 
There  is  not  too  much  time,  in  the  longest  life,  in 
which  to  secure  heaven.  Jehovah  allots  to  no  indi- 
vidual of  the  race,  more  time  than  is  barely  sufficient 
to  fulfil  this  great  end  of  his  being.  For  a  man  to 
have  spent  twenty ,  thirty^  or  forty  years  of  his  life 
without  having  taken  a  single  step  towards  heaven, 
is  an  alarming  consideration  of  itself.  But  this  is  the 
situation  of  every  one  who  has  arrived  at  the  age  of 
twenty^  thirty^  or  forty^  unconverted.  Until  the 
sinner  is  converted,  he  is  travelling,  every  moment, 
away  from  God  and  from  heaven.  To  have  spent, 
then,  twenty,  thirty,  or  forty  years  of  one's  life  with- 
out having  commenced  the  work  of  salvation;  and, 
at  that  period  of  life,  instead  of  turning  immediately 
to  God,  to  resolve  to  put  off  repentance  to  some  future 
unknown  time,  and  that,  too,  when  it  is  admitted  that 
the  whole  of  life  affords  little  time  enough,  in  which 

"  To  'scape  from  hell,  and  fly  to  heaven  !" 

Is  not  this  folly — insanity — madness?  Should  we  not 
think  so,  were  we  to  witness  a  similar  course  of  con- 
duct in  reference  to  secular  matters  1 

On  a  summer  afternoon  you  break  away  from  your 
cares  and  engagements,  and  leave  the  dust,  and  din, 
and  heat  of  the  city,  to  inhale,  for  a  few  hours,  the 
pure  and  balmy  air  of  the  country.  While  you  move 
on,  amid  the  quiet  and  peaceful  scenes  that  stretch 
around  you,  your  eye  feasted,  at  every  step,  with 
some  new  object  of  interest  in  the  landscape  that  lies 


PROCRASTINATION     IN    RELIGION.  79 

SO  sweetly  spread  out  before 'j'ou,  and  your  ear  regaled 
with  the  rich  melody  that  comes  floating  on  every 
passing  breeze,  from  the  feathered  songsters  of  the 
grove,  you  overtake  a  man  on  foot,  walking  at  a  very 
rapid  rate.  It  seems  to  you  that  he  is  anxious  to  place 
the  greatest  possible  distance  between  himself  and  the 
city,  in  the  least  possible  time.  But  as  you  come  up, 
he  stops  and  inquires  the  road  that  leads  to  Philadel- 
phia. You  point  it  out  to  him.  He  tells  you  a  tale 
that  awakens  all  the  kindliest  sympathies  of  your 
heart.  He  has  an  only  son.  That  son  has  been  ap- 
prehended, and  put  upon  trial  for  a  capital  otfence. 
All  the  circumstances  seem  against  him  ;  but  he,  his 
father,  can  bring  forward  facts  that  will  show  his  en- 
tire innocence.  The  court  is  now  in  session,  and  the 
trial  going  on.  The  decision  will  probably  be  made, 
and  sentence  pronounced  in  less  than  two  hours. 
Unless  the  father  reaches  the  city  before  the  expiration 
of  that  time,  his  son  will  be  condemned  to  die.  He 
declares  that  he  would  not  fail  of  reaching  the  court 
room  in  time,  for  worlds. 

Now  what  would  you  think  of  this  man,  if  after 
you  had  pointed  out  to  him  the  road  that  led  to  the 
city,  he  should  instantly  start  off  in  an  opposite  direc- 
tion, and  when  you  called  after  him,  and  assured  him 
that  he  was  going  the  wrong  way — that  every  step 
he  took  was  conducting  him  farther  and  farther  from 
the  place  where  he  would  be,  he  should  answer,  '^I 
know  it — I  know  it !  It  is  infinitely  important  that  I 
should  be  in  Philadelphia,  in  less  than  two  hours. 
The  life  of  my  child  depends  upon  it.  I  have  hardly 
time  even  now  to  reach  there  :  but  still  I  feel  anxious 
to  go  on  in  this  contrary  direction  a  little  farther. '^ 


80  DANGER    AND    GUILT    OF 

What  would  you  think  of  that  man  1  Would  you 
not  conclude  at  once  that  he  was  deranged  1  And 
does  not  every  unconverted  manwho^uts  off  his  sal- 
vation a  single  hour,  exhibit  the  same  evidence  of  in- 
sanity 1  He  is  acting  precisely  the  part  of  the  man 
in  the  instance  we  have  supposed. 

2.  Secondly,  I  remark  that  to  defer  the  work  of 
ones'  salvation  a  single  hour  is  not  only  absurd,  but 
it  is  DANGEROUS.  This  appears  most  manifest  from 
several  of  the  illustrations  to  which  your  attention  has 
been  already  called.  There  are  other  considerations, 
however,  which  will  exhibit  this  point  in  a  still  clearer 
light. 

(1.)  It  is  one  of  the  devices  of  Satan,  to  prompt 
unconverted  men  to  resolve  to  repent  and  become 
Christians  at  a  future  period.  They  resolve  now,  but 
the  resolution  relates  to  a  future  time.  Hence,  we 
say,  that  if  the  time  in  which  to  attend  to  this  busi- 
ness, is  not  the  present  time — if  the  resolution  contem- 
plates even  to-morrow — such  a  resolution  may  be  the 
ruin  of  the  soul. 

A  striking  illustration  is  given  of  this,  by  the 
incidents  connected  with  the  early  death  of  an  inter- 
esting young  lady,  as  related  by  her  pastor,  a  highly 
respectable  clergyman  now  living. 

This  young  lady  was  highly  cultivated,  buoyant  in 
spirit,  beautiful  in  person,  the  pride  of  her  parents, 
the  ornament  of  her  circle,  and  the  admiration  of  all 
who  knew  her.  While  in  the  May  morning  of  life, 
her  mind  became  solemnly  impressed,  and  she  felt 
that  it  was  unsafe  to  continue  in  the  neglect  of  reli- 
gion any  longer.     One  morning,  especially;,  the  first 


PROCHASTINATION    IN    RELIGION.  81 

impression  upon  her  mind  as  she  awoke,  was,  that 
she  must  embrace  religion  then,  and  that  her  soul 
was  in  imminent  danger  of  being  lost  if  she  delayed. 
She  saw  herself  as  she  expressed  it,  'Uo  be  a  great 
sinner  in  the  hands  of  a  God  of  justice  " — saw  that 
there  was  no  hope  but  in  Jesus  Christ,  that  in  Christ 
there  was  a  full,  and  complete  salvation — that  He 
was  ready  and  willing  to  receive  her  then^  and  that 
delay  would  probably  be  fatal  to  her  soul."  She  de- 
liberated ;  she  reasoned— she  prayed,  and  finally 
made  up  her  mind  to  the  deliberate  resolution,  that 
she  would  repent  and  accept  the  offer  of  salvation  be- 
fore the  close  of  that  day.  This  resolution  was,  as  she 
believed,  the  solemn  and  deliberate  purpose  of  her 
soul,  and  she  felt  a  degree  of  satisfaction  in  the  thought 
that  the  question  of  her  eternal  salvation  was  now  so 
near  a  final  and  favourable  adjustment.  But  the  day 
had  its  cares  and  its  pleasures  ;  business  and  company 
filled  up  its  hours  ;  and  the  night  found  her  as  thought- 
less, almost,  as  she  had  been  for  months.  The  next 
morning  her  impressions  were  renewed,  and  another 
resolution  was  formed  to  begin  religion  before  the  close 
of  that  day.  This  day  passed  as  the  one  previous. 
And  thus  day  after  day  were  resolutions  made  and 
broken,  till  all  her  seriousness  passed  away.  A  few 
months  only  elapsed  before  she  was  laid  upon  a  sick 
and  dying  bed.  Her  pastor,  on  the  day  of  her  death, 
was  called  to  visit  her  at  the  early  dawn  of  morning. 
He  remarks,  "  She  then  saw  herself  a  hardened  sin- 
ner in  the  hands  of  God— impenitent,  unpardoned, 
without  hope,  at  the  very  gate  of  death — her  Saviour 
slighted,  the  spirit  grieved  and  gone,  and  the  judg- 
ment, with  its  tremendous  retributions,  just  before 
4^ 


82  DANGER    AND    GUILT    OF 

her.  Most  of  the  morning  was  spent  either  in  prayer 
at  her  bedside,  or  in  attempting  to  guide  her  to  the 
Saviour ;  but  all  seemed  ineffectual.  Her  strength 
was  now  nearly  gone,  vital  action  was  no  longer  per- 
ceptible at  the  extremities,  the  cold  death  sweat  was 
gathering  on  her  brow,  and  dread  despair  seemed 
ready  to  possess  her  soul.  She  saw,  and  we  all  saw, 
that  the  fatal  moment  was  at  hand,  and  her  future 
prospect  one  of  unmingled  horror.  She  shrunk  from 
it.  She  turned  her  eye  to  me,  and  called  on  all  who 
stood  around  her,  to  beseech  once  more  the  God  of 
mercy  in  her  behalf. 

''  Turning  at  one  time  to  her  distressed  father,  as  he 
sat  beside  her,  watching  the  changes  of  her  counte- 
nance, she  said  with  a  look,  such  as  parents  alone  can 
understand,  *  Oh,  my  dear  father,  can't  you  help 
me  1  Can't  you  keep  me  alive  a  little  longer '?  Oh, 
pray  for  me — pray  for  me  !'  We  all  knelt  again  at 
her  bedside,  and  having  once  more  commended  her  to 
God,"  continues  her  Pastor,  ''  I  tried  again  to  di- 
rect her  to  her  Saviour ;  and  was  beginning  to  repeat 
some  promises  which  I  thought  appropriate,  when 
she  interrupted  me,  saying,  with  emphasis,  She  could 
not  be  pardoned — it  was  too  late,  too  late.  Alluding  to 
her  fatal  resolution,  she  begged  of  me  to  charge  all 
the  youth  of  my  congregation  not  to  neglect  religion 
as  she  had  done — not  to  stifle  their  convictions  by  a 
mere  resolution  to  repent.  '  Warn  them — warn  them,' 
said  she,  ^  by  my  case.'  Her  voice  noAV  became  in- 
articulate, the  dimness  of  death  was  settling  upon  her 
eyes,  which  now  and  then,  in  a  frantic  stare,  told  of 
agonies  that    the   tongue   could  not   express.     Soon 


PROCRASTINATION    IN   RELIGION.  83 

the  last  convulsive  struggle  closed  the  scene,  and  her 
spirit  took  its  everlasting  flight." 

Unconverted  hearer,  do  you  think  there  is  no  dan- 
ger, that  your  resolution  to  repent  at  some  future  time 
may  not  delude  you  in  a  similar  manner,  and  finally 
plunge  you  into  irremediable  ruin  1  Beware,  you 
stand  on  a  fearful  precipice.  If  you  wish  to  be  res- 
cued, repent  and  turn  to  God  immediately.  Behold, 
now  is  the  accepted  time. 

(2.)  Another  proof  that  to  defer  the  work  of  one's 
salvation  for  a  single  hour  is  dangerous,  may  be  drawn 
from  the  great  uncertainty  of  life.  We  know  not 
what  a  day  will  bring  forth. 

If  you  defer  your  repentance  to  some  indefinite  fu- 
ture time,  you  will  never  feel  that  the  time  has  come. 
If  you  say — '*  I  will  repent  in  my  last  sickness," 
your  last  sickness  may  not  be  thought  dangerous,  till 
at  the  very  moment  of  your  dissolution ;  your  last 
sickness  may  be  so  violent,  you  can  have  no  thoughts 
except  about  the  pains  and  agony  of  your  dying  body ; 
it  may  be  accompanied  with  delirium  ;  you  may  die  in 
a  fit,  life  may  be  extinguished  in  a  moment.  And 
even  should  all  things  be  most  favorable,  an  awful 
uncertainty  would  hang  over  your  destiny.  Oh,  how 
many  of  these  death-bed  repentances  will  be  found 
vain  and  hollow  at  the  judgment  hour  ! 

It  is  really  melancholy  to  see  on  what  slight 
grounds  surviving  friends  build  their  hopes  in  refer- 
ence to  their  deceased  relatives.  Because  they  uttered 
some  incoherent  words,  that  seemed  like  prayer, 
or  penitential  confession,  at  the  last  gasp  of  expiring 
nature,  the  hope  is  eagerly  seized  upon,  that  they 
have  gone  to  glory.     Though  this  maj''  seem  kind  to- 


84  DANGER   AND    GUILT    OF 

wards  the  dead,  whose  state,  however,  cannot  be  alter- 
ed by  our  views,  it  is  certainly  cruel  towards  the  liv- 
ing. It  is  leading  hundreds  to  lean  upon  a  broken 
reed.  Is  the  man,  who  lies  on  his  dying  bed,  racked 
with  pain,  and  gasping  for  breath,  in  a  fit  state  to  look 
over  his  business  accounts,  and  adjust  his  worldly  af- 
fairs ?  Were  those  with  whom  he  has  transacted 
business,  to  bring  in  their  accounts,  and  ask  him  to 
attend  to  them — what  could  he  dol  He  could  not 
collect  his  thoughts  sufficiently  to  add  up  a  single  co- 
lumn of  figures  !  Is  this  man,  then,  I  ask,  in  a  fit  state 
at  this  moment  to  settle  his  accounts  with  the  great 
God  of  Heaven,  whom  he  has  neglected  all  his  life  7 
These  accounts  with  his  Creator  reach  from  that  period 
in  his  history  when  he  began  to  be  a  moral  agent 
up  to  the  present  moment,  and  they  have  never  been 
adjusted.  If  he  goes  to  the  judgment  bar,  leaving 
them  in  this  state,  he  will  be  ruined  for  eternity. 
And  how  can  he  attend  to  them  now,  when  the  last 
sands  of  life  are  just  running  out  ? 

A  proof  that  death-bed  repentances  are  very  little 
to  be  relied  upon,  maybe  gathered  from  the  fact,  that 
in  the  great  majority  of  instances,  where  the  best  evi- 
dence is  given  of  genuine  repentance,  if  the  patient 
is  unexpectedly  raised  up  from  the  border  of  the  grave, 
with  returning  health,  he  returns  to  the  world  and 
his  sins ;  and  the  instances  are  not  few,  where  persons 
have  seemed  to  give,  upori  a  sick  bed,  the  most  deci- 
sive evidence  of  a  change  of  heart — have  conversed 
freely  in  relation  to  the  joys  of  salvation,  and  have 
gone  so  far  as  to  receive  the  holy  Communion,  who, 
when  restored  to  health,  have  retained  no  recollection 
of  any  of  these  things.     Dpes  not  all  this  show,  that 


PROCRASTINATION    IN   RELIGION.  85 

that  man  who  deliberately  resolves  to  put  off  his  re- 
pentance till  his  last  sickness,  is  in  a  situation  no  less 
perilous  than  that  of  the  sailor  who  goes  to  sleep  upon 
the  mast  head  in  a  storm  7 

If  you  say,  ''  I  will  attend  to  religion  when  I  have 
accumulated  so  much  property — when  I  have  accom- 
plished such  and  such  an  object" — do  you  not  know 
that  before  that  time  you  may  be  in  eternity  1  Is  not 
that  wise  counsel,  which  bids  you,  '^  Seek  first  the 
kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness '?" 

Do  you  depend  upon  youth,  or  vigorous  health,  for 
long  life  1  These  are  no  security.  Are  there  not  hun- 
dreds of  the  young,  whom  you  have  known,  and  all 
of  whom  had  as  good  prospects  of  life  as  you — now  in 
their  graves  ?  The  burial  places  for  the  dead  are  filled 
with  those  who  fell  in  the  midst  of  youth  and  health, 
who  were  cut  down  in  the  morning  of  life — in  the 
freshness  of  their  young  being.  Just  like  you,  they 
expected  that  death  was  far  off,  and  that  they  had  a 
long  time  to  stay  on  the  earth.  Had  the  minister  of 
Christ  gone  to  the  place  of  their  business,  or  their 
houses,  but  a  week  before  their  last  sickness,  and  urg- 
ed upon  them  immediate  repentance,  they  would  have 
thought  his  anxiety  uncalled  for,  and  unnecessary. 
But  at  that  very  moment  the  destroyer  was  holding 
his  arrow  to  the  string  with  deadly  aim.  Soon  that 
arrow  flew  with  fatal  issue.  You  attended  their 
funerals.  You  saw  them  committed  to  the  dust ! 
Would  it  be  strange,  if  within  one  week,  you  should 
fall,  precisely  in  the  same  way?  Are  you  sure  that 
the  seeds  of  disease  are  not  now  lodged  in  your  body, 
and  at  work  in  your  veins '?  Are  you  sure  that  you 
will  ever  again  be  capable  of  hearing,  or  thinking,  if 


86  DANGER   AND    GUILT    OP 

you  neglect  attending  to  your  salvation  to-night  ?  Is 
not  the  future  altogether  uncertain  ?  Would  you  be 
willing  to  put  your  temporal  interests  into  jeopardy 
like  that  to  which  your  soul  is  every  instant  exposed  1 
Would  you  be  willing  to  forego  such  a  golden  oppor- 
tunity of  bettering  your  fortune,  as  is  now  offered  for 
saving  your  soul  ? 

Should  a  ship  come  up  the  river  freighted  with  im- 
mense treasures,  and  its  owner  offer  as  much  gold  to 
every  individual  who  would  come  to  the  wharf,  as  he 
could  carry  away,  who  would  say,  "■  I  will  not  go 
to-day.  To-morrow,  or  next  week,  or  some  months 
hence,  will  answer  as  well?"  But  when  Christ  comes 
here  and  sends  out  his  messengers,  and  tells  you  that 
if  you  will  draw  nigh,  he  will  give  you  "  unsearcha- 
ble riches,"  he  will  give  you  that  which  is  ''  more 
precious  than  rubies,"  and  of  more  value  than  silver 
or  gold,  even  ''  an  inheritance  incorruptible,  unde- 
filed,  and  that  fadeth  not  away,"  you  say  to  him  and 
his  messengers — '^  go  thy  way  for  this  time."  You 
deliberately  conclude  that  you  will  defer  receiving 
these  heavenly  riches  till  a  more  convenient  season. 
Your  houses,  your  stores,  your  merchandise,  your 
factories,  your  shipping  must  be  insured  :  but  your 
souls — your  souls,  you  have  no  insurance  on  them. 
And  yet  there  is  far  greater  probability  that  you  will 
die  within  the  coming  year,  than  that  your  store  will 
burn  down  !  If  it  does  burn  down,  you  will  not  be  a 
sufferer  to  any  great  extent,  for  you  have  had  the 
prudence  and  taken  the  precaution  to  get  an  insur- 
ance upon  it.  But  if  you  die,  your  soul  sinks  down 
into  the  bottomless  pit !     Every  unconverted  man  in 


PROCRASTINATION    IN    RELIGION.  87 

this  house  is  in  danger  of  djopping-  into  the  bottom- 
less pit  before  to-morrow  morning. 

The  impenitent  sinner  has  nothing  to  depend  upon 
to  keep  him  out  of  perdition  one  day,  or  one  night. 
We  know  not  Avhat  a  day  may  bring  forth.  God  has 
not  promised  to  spare  unconverted  men  one  day.  He 
is  every  day  angry  with  them.  The  black  clouds  that 
are  full  of  the  thunder  of  God's  wrath  hang  over  their 
heads  every  day  :  and  they  know  not  how  soon  that 
thunder  will  break  forth  upon  them  !  They  walk  in 
slippery  places ;  and  they  know  not  when  their  feet 
will  slip.  They  hang  over  the  awful  pit,  as  it  were 
by  a  thread  ;  this  thread  hath  a  moth  continually 
gnawing  it  ;  and  they  know  not  when  u  will  snap  in 
twain,  and  let  them  drop.  They  are  not  secure  one 
moment.  They  never  go  to  sleep,  but  they  are  in 
danger  of  awaking  in  the  flames  of  perdition.  *  There 
is  not  an  unconverted  person  in  this  house,  that  is  not 
liable,  at  any  moment,  to  be  summoned  to  the  judg- 
ment bar.  That  moment,  ere  long,  will  speedily 
come  ;  and  probably  it  will  come  when  least  expected. 
And  then,  '^  to  be  surprised  into  the  presence  of  a  for- 
gotten God,  to  be  torn  away  at  once  from  a  world  to 
w^iich  your  whole  heajt  and  soul  have  been  riveted 
— a  world  which  has  engrossed  all  your  thoughts  and 
cares — all  your  desires  and  pursuits,  and  to  be  fixed  in 
a  state  upon  which  you  cannot  now  be  prevailed  upon 
to  bestow  a  single  thought,  and  for  which  you  will 
not  make  any  preparation."!  What  a  catastrophe 
must  this  be !  Will  you,  by  delaying  the  work  of 
your  salvation,  make  this  hazardous  experiment,  and 
run  this  tremendous  risk  1 

*  See  Pres.  Edwards'  Works,  vol.  8,  p.  24.        f  Doddridge,  p.  36. 


88  DANGER    AND    GUILT   OF 

(3.)  Again  :  To  defer  one's  salvation  a  single 
hour,  is  dangerous  on  account  of  the  uncertainty  of 
any  future  opportunity  of  salvation  even  if  life  is  pro- 
longed. Every  unconverted  man  in  this  audience  has 
resisted  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  if  he  had  not,  he  would  not 
now  be  in  an  unconverted  state.  The  Spirit  has  drawn 
him,  but  he  would  not  yield.  The  very  resistance 
which  he  has  made  to  keep  his  stand  upon  impenitent 
ground  has  hardened  his  heart,  and  increased  the  in- 
veteracy of  his  spiritual  malady.  The  difficulty  in  the 
way  of  all  impenitent  persons  in  turning  to  God  is 
thus  continually  increasing.  It  requires  a  more  pow- 
erful operation  of  divine  grace  upon  their  soul  to  turn 
them  now,  than  was  necessary  at  the  beginning  of 
their  course.  Every  time  they  resist  the  Holy  Spirit, 
they  harden  their  hearts  more  and  more ;  and  render 
it  necessary  for  God  to  make  a  still  greater  effort  in 
order  to  save  them.  But  will  he  do  this  ?  Has  he 
given  them  any  promise  that  he  will  ?  No  :  but 
everything  to  the  contrary.  ''  My  Spirit  shall  not  al- 
ways strive  with  man."  ''  He  that  being  often  re- 
proved, hardeneth  his  neck,  shall  suddenly  be  destroy- 
ed, and  that  loithout  remedy.^'' 

Unconverted  hearer,  I  doubt  not  thatr  the  Spirit  of 
God  is  now  moving,  in  some  measure,  upon  your  heart! 
Who  can  tell  whether  this  be  not  the  last  drawing  that 
you  will  ever  feel  ?  Who  can  tell  but  what  God  this 
very  night  ''  will  swear  in  his  wrath  that  you  shall 
not  enter  into  his  rest?"  I  have  been  trying  to  con- 
vince you,  that  you  may  die  at  any  moment ;  and  this 
you  cannot  but  admit.  Can  you  think  of  anything 
more  terrible  than  to  go  into  eternity  just  as  you  now 
are,  impenitent  and  unpardoned  ?    Yes  :  I  can  tell  you 


PROCRASTINATION    IN    RELIGION.  89 

of  one  thing  more  dreadful  than  immediate  death,  or 
immediate  perdition  !  It  is  this  :  To  have  God  de- 
clare, in  reference  to  yon,  ^'  As  for  that  Avretched  being 
who  has  so  long  trifled  with  me,  and  provoked  me — 
let  him  still  live.  Let  him  live  in  the  midst  of  pros- 
perity and  plenty.  Let  him  live  under  the  most  pow- 
erful ordinances  of  the  Gospel,  too :  and  having  abused 
them,  he  will  die  under  seven  fold  more  guilt,  and  a 
seven  fold  greater  curse.  I  will  give  him  no  more 
grace  to  think  of  his  ways  for  a  single  moment." 
And  thus  he  will  go  on  from  bad  to  worse,  filling  up 
the  measure  of  his  iniquities,  till  death  and  destruc- 
tion seize  him  in  an  unexpected  hour,  and  wrath  come 
upon  him  to  the  uttermost.* 

I  fear  this  is  not  an  uncommon  case.  I  fear  there 
are  few  conffreg-ations  where  the  word  of  God  has 
been  faithfully  preached,  and  where  it  has  been  long 
neglected  and  despised,  especially  by  such  as  have 
once  been  awakened,  in  which  there  are  not  some 
persons  in  this  situation  !  It  is  true  it  is  impossible  for 
us  to  say  who  they  are,  but  the  eye  of  God  beholds 
them,  and  they  are  written  down  in  his  book,  as  those 
who.  have  sinned  away  their  day  of  grace. 

Unconverted  hearer,  have  you  any  security  if  you 
put  off  repentance  another  hour,  you  will  not  grieve 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  cause  him  for  ever  to  depart  from 
you  ?  Have  you  any  security,  if  you  refuse  to  repent 
to-night,  that  God  will  not  withdraw  his  grace,  and 
give  you  up  to  hardness  of  heart,  and  blindness  of 
mind  1  Already  your  day  of  grace  may  be  nearly 
spent !     It  may  terminate  before  the  dawn  of  another 

*  Doddridge,  p.  38. 


90  DANGER   AND    GUILT    OF 

morning",  and  here  you  are  putting  off  repentance  to 
a  more  convenient  season  !  In  the  words  of  Dod- 
dridge, I  would  say,  ''  If  you  delay  aay  longer,  the 
time  will  come  when  you  will  bitterly  repent  of  this 
delay,  and  either  lament  it  before  God  in  the  anguish 
of  your  heart  here,  or  curse  your  own  folly  and  mad- 
ness in  Hell  !  Yea,  when  you  will  wish,  that  dread- 
ful as  hell  is,  you  had  rather  fallen  into  it  sooner,  than 
have  lived  in  the  midst  of  so  many  abused  mercies,  to 
render  the  degrees  of  your  punishment  more  insup- 
portable, and  your  sense  of  it  more  exquisitely  tor- 
menting !" 

I  do  therefore  earnestly  exhort  you  in  the  name  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  the  worth  of  your  im- 
mortal and  perishing  soul,  that  you  delay  not  a  day, 
nor  an  hour  longer.  Even  now  turn  unto  the  Lord-7- 
before  you  leave  this  house — before  you  leave  the  pew 
where  you  are  now  sitting. 

3.  And  finally,  I  remark,  that  to  delay  the  work  of 
one's  salvation  a  single  hour,  is  not  only  absurd  and 
dangerous,  but  involves  a  dreadful  amount  of  guilt. 
To  delay  one's  repentance  is  to  come  to  the  deliberate 
determination  to  continue  in  rebellion  against  God. 
It  is  in  fact  an  express  declaration  to  Jehovah  on  the 
part  of  unconverted  men,  that  they  think  that  the 
world  can  make  them  happier  than  He  :  and  that  in 
order  to  enjoy  the  world,  and  live  in  sin  and  disobedi- 
ence, they  are  willing  to  incur  his  displeasure ;  that 
upon  the  whole  they  had  rather  run  the  risk  of  losing 
Heaven,  and  the  favour  of  God,  than  be  converted  now! 

Every  unconverted  man,  who  has  not  made  up  his 
mind  to  turn  immediately  to  the  Lord,  means  to  live 


PROCRASTINATION    IN    RELIGION.  91 

in  rebellion  against  God  just  as  long  as  he  can  without 
dropping  into  perdition.  And  was  there  no  burning 
gulf  of  endless  wo,  he  would  never  think  of  turning 
to  God.  Was  there  no  death,  he  would  never  think 
of  repenting  !  Is  there  no  guilt  in  all  this  1  Oh,  what 
a  wicked  heart  the  unconverted  sinner  has  !  What 
an  awful  amount  of  guilt  attaches  itself  to  this  purpose 
of  his  to  delay  coming  to  God  !  By  it,  he  is  virtually 
saying  to  the  Most  High,  "  Thou  everlasting  Jehovah, 
who  didst  call  me  into  being  ;  who  hast  upholden  me 
ever  since  I  was  born  by  thy  hand,  and  who  demand- 
est  of  me  my  love  and  obedience  :  I  have  no  love 
for  thee.  I  hate  thy  government.  I  will  never  sub- 
mit to  it  till  compelled  to.  The  agonies  and  death  of 
Jesus  Christ  make  no  impression  on  my  heart.  I  wish 
to  live  longer  in  sin.  I  think  it  will  make  me  hap- 
pier than  God  or  Christ  can.  I  wish  there  was  no 
death — no  Hell ;  then  I  would  live  for  ever  in  sin  ;  but 
as  death  and  hell  are  in  my  path,  when  I  can  enjoy 
the  world  no  longer,  when  I  can  proceed  no  farther 
in  rebellion  without  plunging  down  into  the  fiery 
abyss,  I  will  then  attend  to  religion  and  save  my  soul." 
This,  in  point  of  fact,  is  the  language  of  every  uncon- 
verted man,  who  is  putting  off  the  concerns  of  religion 
to  some  future  convenient  season.  Oh,  surely  here  is 
sin — here  is  guilt  unparalleled  !  The  very  determin- 
ation to  delay  is  an  insult  to  Jehovah.  He  sends  to 
you  a  message  containing  offers  of  pardon  and  life. 
He  bids  the  messenger  accompany  the  message  with 
the  declaration,  ''  Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time  !" 
But  you  say  to  God's  messenger,  ''  Go  thy  way  for 
this  time.  I  have  more  important  matters  to  attend 
to  at  present  than  this.''     Ah !  deluded  man,  what 


92  DANGER    AND    GUILT   OF 

more  important  business  can  there  be  than  the  salva- 
tion of  your  immortal  soul  ? 

But  you  say,  you  mean  to  attend  to  it  at  some 
future  time — Go  thy  way  ybr  this  time.  Ah  !  do  you 
not  recollect  the  fatal  resolution  of  that  lost  one, 
to  whom  I  have  referred,  this  evening  ?  That  un- 
happy person  only  resolved  to  delay  till  the  close  of 
the  day.  She  delayed  the  consecration  of  herself  to 
God  till  evening,  and  the  consequence  was,  the  Holy 
Spirit  left  her,  and  she  died  in  despair. 

Oh !  that  you  would  but  consider  the  awful  guilt 
that  attaches  itself  to  this  delay  of  repentance.  What 
can  be  more  displeasing  to  God  than,  when  he  says, 
''  Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time,"  you  should  reply, 
and  say,  "  Go  thy  way  for  this  time." 

My  dying  friends,  consider,  I  entreat  you,  the 
whole  guilt  and  danger  of  your  situation.  Consider 
whose  messenger  and  message  it  is  you  slight !  By 
refusing  to  accept  of  salvation  now — by  resolving 
to  defer  your  repentance — you  challenge  Jehovah  to 
empty  his  wrath  upon  you!  Oh!  that  you  did  but 
know  what  a  state  that  soul  is  in,  wiiicli  hath  arrayed 
the  everlasting  God  against  it!  The  word  of  His 
mouth  that  made  thee,  can  unmake  thee  !  The  frown 
of  His  face  will  blight  thy  very  being.  Oh  !  if  God 
be  against  thee,  all  things  are  against  thee.  This 
world,  however  much  thou  lovest  it,  is  but  thy  prison; 
thou  art  only  reserved  in  it  to  the  day  of  wrath.  The 
Judge  is  coming !  Thy  soul  is  even  now  moving  on- 
ward to  the  fearful  tribunal !  In  a  short  time,  and 
thy  friends  shall  say  of  thee,  '^  He  is  dead  ;  "  and  then 
thou  shalt  see  the  things  that  thou  dost  despise,  and 
feel  that  which  thou  wilt  not  now  believe  ! 


PROCRASTINATION   IN    RELIGION.  93 

Unconverted  man,  death  will  bring  thee  such  an 
argument  as  thou  canst  not  answer  ;  an  argument  that 
shall  effectually  confute  thy  cavils  against  the  word 
and  loays  of  God  !  Then  how  soon  will  thy  mind  be 
changed !  Be  an  unbeliever,  then,  if  thou  canst ! 
Stand,  then,  to  all  thy  former  words,  which  thou  wast 
wont  to  utter  against  a  holy  and  a  heavenly  life ! 
Make  good  that  cause  before  the  Lord,  which  thou 
wast  wont  to  plead  against  his  ministers  and  people ! 
In  that  hour  stand  up  before  the  Judge,  and  plead  for 
thy  pleasures  and  worldly  indulgences.  But  know 
that  thou  wilt  have  one  to  plead  with,  before  whom 
the  rocks  melt,  and  the  earth  shakes  to  its  centre.* 

Oh,  poor  unconverted  soul !  there  is  nothing  but  a 
thin  veil  of  flesh  between  thee  and  this  amazing  sight, 
which  will  silence  all  thy  excuses  and  objections,  and 
quickly  change  thy  tone.  This  veil,  death  will  lift 
up,  and  then  the  awful  scene  will  instantly  burst  upon 
thy  view  !  And,  oh  !  how  quickly  will  death  come 
and  do  his  work  !  When  thou  hast  had  a  few  more 
merry  hours — a  few  more  pleasant  draughts  of  earthly 
delight;  when  thou  hast  drawn  around  thee  a  few 
more  of  the  honours  of  the  world,  a  little  more  of  the 
riches,  thy  portion  will  be  spent,  thy  pleasures  ended, 
and  all,  for  which  thou  hast  bartered  thy  soul,  w^ill  be 
gone  for  ever  !  The  day  of  reckoning  will  then  come  ! 
It  is  even  now  coming  ;  no  post  is  more  swift,  no  mes- 
senger more  sure ! 

The  sum  of  the  w^hole  matter,  then,  is  this  :  that  all 
who  mean  to  save  their  souls,  must  do  it  now ;  that 
the    delay    of  this  work   is    absurd,  dangerous,  and 

*  See  Baxter. 


94  DANGER   AND    GUILT    OF 

wicked ;  that  it  is  trifling  with  God  and  our  best  inte- 
rests ;  that  those  who  postpone  this  repentance  to  some 
indefinite  future  time,  do,  in  fact,  set  God  at  defiance, 
and  relinquish  all  claims  to  eternal  life. 

My  hearers,  what  is  your  determination'?  I  do  not 
ask  whether  you  mean  to  rej^ent  at  some  future  time, 
but  will  you  attend  to  your  soul's  salvation  now'? 
With  all  these  considerations  before  you,  Avhat  is  your 
decision  1  Will  you  attend  to  the  concerns  of  eternity 
now  '?  Remember,  the  eye  of  God  is  on  you ;  and 
you  will  be  reminded  of  these  appeals  at  the  judg- 
ment seat !  What  is  your  decision '?  what  answer 
will  you  return?  Here  we  stand  in  the  name  of  God 
to  receive  your  reply !  Will  you  be  saved  ?  Will 
you  give  up  your  hearts  to  God  ?  The  heart  of  every 
unconverted  man  has  replied,  yes^  or  no  f  God  heard 
that  reply.  He  will  write  it  down  in  the  Book  of 
His  remembrance.  If  you  say,  ''Go  thy  way,^^  then 
we  leave  you.  God  says,  in  reference  to  you,  ''  Let 
him  alone,^^  let  him  alone!  The  Spirit,  stretching 
his  wings  to  take  his  everlasting  flight,  says,  ''  Let 
him  alone ^^^  let  him  alone  !  Oh  sinner,  sinner  !  how 
can  I  leave  you '?  God  is  about  leaving  you,  and  the 
Spirit  is  about  leaving  you  !  Will  you  not,  then,  oh  ! 
will  3'ou  not  decide  now,  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come'? 

Unconverted  friends,  what  is  your  decision  1  Will 
you  send  me  away  in  sorrow  ?  Will  you  send  me 
back,  in  bitterness  of  spirit,  to  the  feet  of  that  Eternal 
Being,  on  whose  errand  I  have  come,  to  say  to  him, 
''  Who  hath  believed  our  report,  and  to  whom  hath 
the  arm  of  the  Lord  been  revealed?"  Will  you  not 
decide  to  enter  upon  a  religious  life  now  ?     If  so,  do 


PROCRASTINATION    IN   RELIGION.  95 

not  leave  that  pew  where  you  sit,  till  you  have  pro- 
mised this  to  the  everlasting  God.  He  bends  upon 
His  eternal  throne  to  receive  your  promise.  What- 
ever you  have  decided  upon,  the  intelligence  has  gone 
up  to  heaven.  Hark !  hark,  what  new  sounds  it 
circulates  there !  Sinner,  do  you  not  hear  them  ? 
Listen  to  conscience,  the  voice  of  God  within  you, 
and  that  will  repeat  the  echo. 

The  Discourse  for  next  Sunday  evening,  from  its 
connection  with  what  will  follow,  will  treat  of  a  sub- 
ject, perhaps  decidedly  the  most  important  in  the 
whole  series. 


DISCOURSE     V. 

THE  SINNER  MUST  BE  CONVINCED  OF  SIN. 

"  How  canst  thou  say,  I  am  not  polluted." 

Jer.  ii.  23. 

The  very  idea  of  conversion  implies  a  change  from 
one  state  to  another.  This  term,  as  ordinarily  used  in 
theology,  denotes  the  act  of  turning  from  sin  to  holi- 
ness. Nothing,  therefore,  can  be  more  obvious  than 
that  men  must  be  convinced  of  their  sinfulness^  before 
they  can  be  turned  from  it^  or  converted.  If  we  should 
succeed  ever  so  well  in  convincing  men  of  the  import- 
ance of  religion,  and  of  the  claims  it  has  upon  their 
immediate  attention,  it  would  be  followed  with  no 
permanent  valuable  results,  unless  we  could  fasten 
upon  their  minds  a  conviction  of  their  own  exceeding 
sinfulness  in  the  sight  of  God.  Men  will  never  be 
converted — they  will  never  turn  from  their  sins,  till 
they  see  how  guilty  they  are,  and  how  bitter  and  evil 
a  thing  it  is  to  sin  against  God.  Hence  the  present 
and  following  discourse  will  be  directed  to  this  one 
point, — to  show  the  awful  guilt  and  exceeding  sin- 
fulness of  every  person  who  lives  in  an  unconverted 
state. 

I  am  well  aware  that  this  is  not  a  pleasant  theme. 
There  is  nothing  from  which  the  human  heart  so 
instinctively  shrinks   as  that  of  being  made  to  feel 


THE    SINNER   MUST    BE    CONVINCED    OF    SIN.         97 

conscious  of  its  own  guilt.     Ap.  attempt  to  force   this 
state  of  feeling  upon  the  heart  and  conscience,  though 
it  be  by  pressing  home  the  truth  of  God,  is  often  re- 
garded as  unkind,  and  evincive  of  an  unamiable  and 
censorious  spirit.     Unconverted  men  are  exceedingly 
unwilling  to  believe  that  they  are  very  sinful.     When 
they  are  fully  and  plainly  told  this — when  all  the  sin 
and  guilt,  with  which  the  Bible  charges  them,  is  laid 
at  their  door — when  they  are  told  that  until  converted 
they  can  never  take  a  single  step  towards  heaven, 
but,  on  the    other   hand,  are   constantly  advancing 
in  the  downward   path — that  until  their  hearts   are 
changed,  and  they  are  created  anew  in  Christ  Jesus, 
with  all  their  attempts  at  external  reformation,  they 
are  constantly  grooving  worse  and  worse,  and  hourly 
provoking  God  more  and  more ;   so  that  in  truth  they 
hang  suspended,  every  moment  they  live,  by  a  single 
hair,  over  the  gaping  gulf  of  endless  perdition — when 
these  representations  are  made  of  their  exceeding  sin- 
fulness,  they  feel   wronged.       They   think   that  the 
degree  of  their  guilt  is  exaggerated,  and  the  picture 
entirely  overdrawn.      If  all  this    had  been   alleged 
against  the  notoriously  wicked,  the  profane,  the  pro- 
fligate, and  the  abandoned,  they  would  have  fully 
assented  to  its  correctness.     But  when  it  is  affirmed 
of  those  who  are  kind  fathers,  affectionate  husbands, 
and  every  way  estimable  citizens — persons  who  are 
charitable  to  the  poor,  honest  in  their  dealings,  cher- 
ishing a  high  respect  for  religion,  and,  as  far  as  can 
be  seen,  exemplary  in  their  conduct,  they  feel  that 
such  statements  are  an  entire  exaggeration  of  the  mat- 
ter.    But,  there  it  stands,  engraven  on  the  page  of 


98  THE    SINNER   MUST 

eternal  truth,  '^  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot 
see  the  kingdom  of  God.^^ 

Unconverted  men,  with  whatever  external  deco- 
rum of  morality  they  may  have  adorned  themselves, 
will  find,  w^hen  they  come  to  stand  at  the  judgment 
bar,  that  they  are  infinitely  more  wicked  than  they 
were  ever  represented. 

It  would  be  far  more  delightful  to  me  to  preach  to 
Christians — far  more  congenial  to  my  feelings  to 
speak  continually  of  the  love  of  God — to  point  the 
believer's  eye  to  the  gemmed  crowns  and  golden 
harps  around  the  throne,  and  to  that  glorious  "rest 
which  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God  /"  But,  in  the 
mean  time,  what  would  become  of  unconverted  sin- 
ners ?     They  would  go  down  to  irremediable  wo  ! 

Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners.  He 
hath  sent  forth  His  messengers  on  the  express  errand 
of  publishing  to  all  lands  and  to  all  classes  of  peoj)le, 
that  they  must  be  born  again.  He  bids  the  heralds  of 
the  Cross  to  lift  up  their  voices,  and  proclaim  to  men 
their  transgression  and  their  sin.  There  is,  therefore, 
no  alternative  :  necessity  is  laid  upon  us  to  speak  out 
the  wdiole  truth.  We  have  sworn  before  high  heaven 
that  we  will  declare  the  whole  truth,  and  keep  back 
nothing.  If  we  do  not  take  this  course, — if,  on  the 
other  hand,  we  prophesy  smooth  things,  and  say 
peace,  peace,  when  there  is  no  peace ;  and  thus  lead 
men  along  in  a  pleasant  and  flowery  path,  we  perjure 
our  own  souls,  and  land  our  unconverted  hearers  in 
perdition. 

I  should  be  afraid  to  die — I  should  be  afraid  to  go 
to  the  judgment  bar,  if  I  had  knowingly  kept  back 
anything  in  which  the  eternal  happiness  of  my  hear- 


BE    CONVINCED    OF    SIN.  99 

ers  was  involved.  My  earnest  wish — my  sincere 
prayer  to  God  is,  that  all  who  are  here  before  me — 
all  who  tread  the  courts  of  this  sacred  temple,  may 
be  eternally  happy  in  heaven.  But,  unconverted 
friend,  you  can  never  enter  heaven,  unless  you  re- 
ceive the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Tliis  trutii,  it  is  my 
duty  to  proclaim;  and,  having  done  so,  if  it  is  rejected, 
yours  will  be  the  guilt. 

It  is  my  intention  to  represent  unconverted  men 
just  as  sinful  as  the  word  of  God  represents  them ; 
and  this  word  appeals  to  each  one  of  them  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  text,  "  How  canst  thou  say,  I  am  not 
polluted  ?  "  The  text  was  addressed  to  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Jerusalem,  charging  them  with  guilt,  princi- 
pally upon  the  ground  of  their  having  forsaken  God, 
and  substituted  in  His  place  another  object  of  supreme 
regard.  To  this  charge  they  were  not  disposed  to 
plead  guilty,  but  sought  to  assert  their  innocence  by 
offering  a  variety  of  excuses  for  their  conduct.  But 
in  reply  to  all  these  vain  attempts  to  clear  themselves, 
God  said,  "  Though  thou  wash  thee  with  nitre,  and 
take  thee  much  soap,  yet  thine  iniquity  is  marked 
before  me.  How  canst  thou  say,  I  am  not  polluted." 
You  see  the  inquiry  is  not,  how  sinful  we  appear  to 
men^  but  how  sinful  we  appear  in  the  eye  of  a  holy 
God!  That  declaration  of  the  Saviour,  '^  Except  a 
man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of 
God,"  plainly  intimates,  that  every  unregenerate 
man  has  so  much  guilt  resting  upon  his  soul,  that  he 
could  not  be  admitted  into  heaven  in  his  present  state, 
without  such  a  surrender  of  principle,  as  would  ulti- 
mately overturn  the  whole  empire  of  God.  Impenitent 
men  do  not  understand  this ;  they  do  not  think  that 


100  THE    SINNER    MUST 

they  are  so  guilty  and  depraved  ;  or,  if  they  admit  it  in 
theory,  it  is  a  truth  which  does  not  impress  or  deeply 
affect  their  hearts. 

Here,  then,  is  a  controversy  between  God  and  sin- 
ners. This  is  the  attitude  in  which  all  unconverted 
men  stand.  The  Most  High  has  brought  against 
every  one  of  you,  unconverted  friends,  an  indictment, 
containing  charges  of  such  a  serious  character,  that  if 
substantiated,  your  hopes  are  all  crushed.  To  these 
charges  you  are  not  ready  to  plead  guilty.  I  appear 
before  you  as  the  advocate  of  Jehovah,  and  with  Paul 
I  would  say,  "  Let  God  be  true,  and  every  man  a 
liar."  And  here,  in  the  presence  of  Jehovah,  and  in 
the  face  of  the  whole  universe,  I  would  ask  of  each 
one  of  you,  ^'  How  canst  thou  say,  I  am  not  polluted  ?  '^ 

"  Hear  ye  now  what  the  Lord  saith,  '  Arise,  con- 
tend thou  before  the  mountains,  and  let  the  hills  hear 
thy  voice.'  Hear  ye,  oh  mountains,  the  Lord's  con- 
troversy, and  ye  strong  foundations  of  the  earth  :  for 
the  Lord  hath  a  controversy  w^th  his  people.  Oh, 
my  people,  what  have  I  done  unto  thee,  and  wherein 
have  I  wearied  thee?     Testify  against  me." 

The  Eternal  Sovereign  here  offers  to  descend  from 
his  tribunal  to  account  for  his  conduct,  and  submit 
himself  to  the  judgment  of  his  creatures.  Decline 
not,  then,  unconverted  man,  this  condescending  over- 
ture of  the  Almighty.  Order  your  cause ;  fill  your 
mouth  with  strong  arguments,  and  state  your  strong 
reasons  why  you  ought  not  to  be  condemned  for  ever. 
God  invites  you  to  testify  against  him. 

In  order  to  form  a  just  conclusion,  whether  you 
have  any  ground  for  complaint,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  glance  at  the  system  of  government  under  which 


BE    CONVINCED    OF    SIN.  101 

you  are  living.  In  order  to  ascertain  whether  the  in- 
dictment brought  against  you  by  Jehovah  will  stand, 
it  becomes  necessary  to  look  at  the  law  which  he  has 
appointed  for  the  rule  of  human  action,  to  see  what 
the  character  of  that  law  is,  and  how  your  conduct 
accords  with  its  requirements.  To  these  considera- 
tions we  now  invite  your  attention. 

1.  Firsts  the  system  of  government,  under  which 
God^s  moral  and  intelligent  creatures  are  placed.  They 
are  placed  under  a  moral  government.  God  created  us 
for  a  glorious  end.  He  purposes  to  lead  us  to  the  ac- 
complishment of  that  end  by  motives  addressed  to  the 
understanding.  This  is  what  we  mean  by  moral  gov- 
ernment. 

God  governs  things  according  to  their  nature.  He 
manages  the  sea,  and  regulates  the  planets  by  physical 
force.  He  controls  the  various  tribes  of  animals  by 
the  laws  of  instinct.  But  man,  w^ho  is  an  intelligent 
and  rational  being,  he  governs  by  the  presentation  of 
motives  to  influence  his  will.  The  divine  law  fur- 
nishes man  with  a  rule  to  regulate  his  conduct  towards 
the  whole  universe.  ''  This  law  surrounds  him  with 
rich  and  copious  exhibitions  of  reasons,  motives, 
and  allurements,  to  lead  him  to  the  formation  of  a  good 
character,  and  to  the  choice  of  a  wise  course  of  con- 
duct. It  forces  him  to  nothing,  but  leaves  him  per- 
fectly free.  He  is  free  from  everything  except  from 
the  moral  obligation  to  do  good,  and  from  accounta- 
bleness  to  God  if  he  do  wrong."  This  law  of  course 
has  its  sanctions.  All  law  from  its  very  nature  must 
necessarily  have  the  sanctions  of  rewards  and  penal- 
ties.    Without  these,  a  law  would  be  a  mere  advice, 


102  THE    SINNER   MUST 

a  recommendation  only,  and  of  no  authority.  The 
penahy  of  the  divine  law  is  incurred  by  breaking  the 
law,  and  its  reward  secured  by  keeping  it.  This  is 
the  original  constitution  of  that  government,  under 
which  the  human  race  was  placed.  Can  you  find  any 
fault  with  this  arrangement.  It  is  true  that  you  are 
capable  of  sinning,  or  breaking  his  law.  But  will  you 
blame  God  on  this  account?  You  might  just  as  well 
blame  him  for  having  made  you  a  rational  and  moral 
being. 

The  great  and  sainted  Edwards  justly  remarks : 
^^  It  is  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  God  should  be 
obliged,  if  he  makes  a  reasonable  creature,  capable 
of  knowing  his  will,  and  receiving  a  law  from  him, 
and  being  subject  to  his  moral  government,  at  the 
same  time  to  make  it  impossible  for  him  to  sin,  or 
break  his  law.  For  if  God  be  obliged  to  this,  it  des- 
troys all  use  of  any  commands,  laws,  promises,  or 
threatenings,  and  the  notion  of  any  moral  government 
of  God  over  those  reasonable  creatures.  For  to  what 
purpose  would  it  be  for  God  to  give  such  and  such 
laws,  and  declare  his  holy  will  to  a  creature,  and  an- 
nex promises  a  nd  threatenings  to  move  him  to  his  duty, 
and  make  him  careful  to  perform  it,  if  the  creature  at 
the  same  time  has  this  to  think  of,  that  God  is  obliged 
to  make  it  impossible  for  him  to  break  his  laws  ?  How 
can  God's  threatenings  move  to  care  or  watchfulness, 
when  at  the  same  time,  God  is  obliged  to  render  it 
impossible  that  he  should  be  exposed  to  the  threaten- 
ings ?  Or  to  what  purpose  is  it  for  God  to  give  a  law 
at  all?  For,  according  to  this  supposition,  it  is  God, 
and  not  the  creature,  that  is  under  the  law.  It  is  the 
lawgiver's  care,  and  not  the  subject's,  to  see  that  his 


BE     CONVINCED    OF    SIN.  103 

law  is  obeyed  ;  and  this  care  is  what  the  law-giver  is 
absolutely  obliged  to.''  This  conclusion  cannot  bo 
evaded.  They,  therefore,  who  complain  because  they 
are  made  capable  of  sinning,  find  fault  with  God,  be- 
cause they  are  made  rational  and  moral  beings.  As 
you  have  been  passing  along  through  the  country  in 
one  of  the  vernal  months,  when  the  face  of  nature 
just  began  to  be  renovated,  has  not  your  eye  rested 
with  pleasure,  as  it  glanced  over  the  landscape,  upon 
the  plough  as  it  moved  steadily  onward,  upturning  the 
rich  dark  mould,  along  the  whole  length  of  the  furrow? 
You  then  had  before  you  a  specimen  of  two  kinds  of 
government :  the  one  physical,  and  the  other  moral. 
The  ox  is  kept  to  the  plough  by  physical  force,  by  a 
j^oke  and  chain.  The  ploughman  is  kept  to  his  work 
by  moral  influences.  The  reward  that  he  expects  for 
his  labor,  leads  him  to  follow  that  plough  from  early 
dawn  till  the  shades  of  evening  gather  around  him. 
Now  who  would  prefer  to  be  the  ox,  rather  than  the 
ploughman  ?  And  yet  this  is  the  subject  of  complaint 
with  those  who  find  fault  with  God  because  they  are 
not  made  incapable  of  sinning.  Oh,  how  absurd  and 
wicked  such  complaints  are  !  Do  not  those  who  cher- 
ish such  thoughts,  who  in  their  hearts  l)lame  God  for 
the  constitution  of  things  under  which  they  are  placed, 
— do  they  not  see  that  this  very  state  of  feeling  w^hich 
they  cherish,  has  attached  to  it  unmeasured  guilt ! 

Beyond  all  dispute,  the  moral  government  under 
which  we  are  living  is  the  best,  wisest,  and  most  equit- 
able scheme  of  government  which  we  can  conceive. 
No  man  can  doubt  or  deny  this,  whose  thoughts  have 
ever  penetrated  beneath  the  surface  of  things. 


104  THE    SINNER    MUST 

2.  Secondly.  Let  us  now  enter  upon  a  more  distinct 
consideration  of  the  law,  which  God  has  appointed  for 
the  regulation  of  human  conduct. 

This  law  at  first  was  written  upon  the  heart  of  man 
in  paradise,  but  being  obliterated  by  the  fall,  it  has 
since,  in  various  ways,  been  republished  to  the  world. 
The  substance  of  it  was  embodied  in  the  ten  command- 
ments, which  God  wrote  with  his  own  finger  upon  the 
tables  of  stone.  It  was  published  in  a  still  more  con- 
densed form  by  the  Saviour,  when  he  declared  that  all 
the  requisitions  of  the  law  and  the  prophets  were  sus- 
pended upon  the  two  commands  of  supreme  love  to 
God, and  the  love  of  our  neighbour  as  ourselves.  The 
details  of  this  law  are  spread  out  to  view  upon  the 
pages  of  the  divine  Word.  Let  us  see  then  what  is 
the  character  of  this  law  under  which  every  human 
creature  is  placed. 

1.  In  the^r5^  place,  then,  I  remark,  that  it  is  good, 
just  and  holy.  The  law  of  God  is  a  revelation  of  his 
mind  and  will,  a  simple  transcript  of  his  moral  cha- 
racter. If  a  human  government  were  to  enact  laws 
which  in  their  operation  were  unjust  and  oppressive, 
what  would  this  show  ?  Would  it  not  show  that  those 
who  were  at  the  head  of  that  government,  and  from 
whom  those  laws  emanated,  were  either  wicked  or 
ignorant?  If  a  father  should  require  his  children  to 
do  that  which  would  necessarily  make  them  unhappy, 
would  it  not  show  that  he  was  an  unkind  and  cruel 
parent  ? 

In  like  manner  the  divine  law  shows  what  the  divine 
character  is.  If  the  least  flaw  can  be  found  in  any 
one  of  the  statutes  of  Jehovah,  it  will  prove  that  He  is 
an  imperfect  Being !     If  his  laws  require  men  to  do 


BE    CONVINCED    OF    SIN.  105 

that  which  would  make  them  unhappy,  unjust,  or  un- 
holy, these  laws  would  show  that  God  was  not  a  be- 
nevolent, just,  and  holy  Being.  But,  in  point  of  fact, 
the  reverse  of  all  this  is  found  to  be  true.  The  divine 
law,  in  its  operation,  tends  so  directly,  and  so  unerr- 
ingly to  goodness,  rectitude  and  holiness,  that  it  be- 
comes a  glorious  mirror  in  which  men  and  angels  can 
behold  the  perfections  of  the  holy  and  blessed  God. 
Everything  which  the  divine  law  enjoins,  tends  di- 
rectly to  the  moral  improvement  and  personal  happi- 
ness of  every  rational  being  in  the  universe.  If  all 
the  moral  and  intelligent  beings  that  dwell  on  the  face 
of  this  earth,  were  as  intent  upon  keeping  the  law  of 
God  as  the  angels  are  in  heaven,  earth  would  imme- 
diately become  as  happy  and  as  holy  a  place  as  hea- 
ven. There  would  be  no  difference.  That  which 
now  constitutes  the  happiness  of  Heaven  is,  that  all 
the  beings  there  keep,  wholly  and  entirely,  God's  pure 
and  perfect  law. 

The  law  of  God  is  equally  good,  just  and  holy  in 
its  prohibitions  as  in  its  requirements.  Everything 
which  it  forbids  is  not  only  wrong,  but  in  its  very 
nature  ruinous.  Were  you  to  strike  out  of  the  divine 
code  a  single  prohibition,  the  law  would  cease  to  be 
good  :  for  it  would  then  permit  something  to  be  done, 
which  in  its  tendency  and  results  would  produce  misery 
and  destruction.  All  the  misery  that  is  in  the  world, 
and  all  the  misery  that  is  in  hell,  came  from  violating 
the  divine  law,  from  doing  Vv^iat  the  law  forbids  to  be 
done.  If  Jehovah  had  not  required  in  his  law  pre^ 
cisely  what  he  has  :  if  that  law  did  not  contain  pre- 
cisely the  prohibitions  it  does,  it  would  have  been  im- 
perfect 'y  and  therefore  furnished  indubitable  evidence 


106  THE    SINNER    MUST 

that  it  came  from  an  imperfect  being.  The  law  of 
God  then,  is  good,  just  and  hol3^  It  is  precisely  that 
which  will  bring  the  greatest  glory  to  God,  and  impart 
the  highest  happiness  to  every  intelligent  creature. 

If,  then,  that  is  good  which  tends  directly  to  the 
honour  of  God,  and  the  happiness  of  every  created 
being,  the  law  of  God  is  good.  And  if  that  be  evil 
which  tends  directly  to  dishonour  God — to  thwart  his 
will,  and  to  destroy  the  happiness  of  every  intelligent 
being — then  sin,  or  the  violation  of  the  law,  is  evil. 

Bear  this  constantly  in  mind,  that  the  law  of  God  is 
good,  just  and  holy — good,  just  and  holy  in  its  require- 
ments— good,  just  and  holy  in  its  prohibitions — good, 
just  and  holy  in  its  sanctions.  And  therefore  bear  in 
mind  continually,  that  he  who  sins,  or  breaks  that 
laAV,  does  all  that  he  can  to  overturn  the  eternal  prin- 
ciples of  justice,  to  rob  God  of  his  glory,  and  to  destroy 
the  happiness  of  every  being  in  the  universe ;  for  every 
being  in  the  universe  has  only  to  follow  the  example 
of  the  sinner,  and  all  these  effects  will  ensue. 

2.  I  remark.  Secondly^  that  the  divine  law  is  spirit- 
ual. What  I  mean  by  spiritual  is  that  it  has  reference 
not  merely  to  the  external  conduct,  but  to  the  inward 
workings  and  affections  of  the  mind.  It  reaches  to 
every  single  mental  act  of  every  human  creature.  It 
lays  its  power  upon  the  inner  man,  and  requires  un- 
qualified and  unbroJven  obedience  in  the  heart. 

Our  Saviour  has  shown  us  what  the  true  principle 
of  interpretation  as  to  the  divine  law  is,  in  the  com- 
ment which  he  made  upon  one  or  tAVo  of  the  prohibi- 
tions in  the  sacred  decalogue.  He  pronounced  an  im- 
pure thought,  adultery,  and  an  angry  and  contemptu- 


BE   CONVINCED    OF    SIN.  107 

ous  word,  murder  !  The  law  of  God  reaches  to  the 
thoughts  of  the  heart.  Its  design  is  not  simply  to  re- 
gulate the  external  conduct,  but  to  restrain  sin  in  its 
first  risings  in  the  soul.  It  takes  cognizance  of  e very- 
thought  and  feeling  and  desire.  It  requires  that  an 
obedience  shall  be  rendered  to  it,  not  only  in  the 
outward  conduct,  but  in  the  purposes,  the  intents, 
and  thoughts  of  the  heart.  It  requires  not  only  that 
the  outward  act  should  be  good,  but  that  it  should 
proceed  from  a  pure  and  holy  motive.  The  only  right 
motive  from  which  any  act  can  be  done  is  the  love  of 
God .  ' '-  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law . "  The  wh  ole 
law  is  resolved  into  this.  "  Thou  shalt  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  thy  neighbour  as 
thyself."  All  actions,  however  good  in  themselves, 
are  sinful,  if  they  do  not  proceed  from  love  to  God. 

3.  I  remark.  Thirdly^  that  the  laAV  is  very  strict  and 
uncompromising  in  its  demands.  What  it  requires  is 
to  be  done,  and  cannot  be  dispensed  with.  It  makes  no 
allowance  for  human  infirmity,  it  offers  no  assistance 
to  human  frailty,  it  will  not  take  the  desire  in  the 
place  of  the  act,  it  w411  not  accept  of  a  partial  or  im- 
perfect obedience  *  all  its  requirements  must  be  kept, 
and  our  conduct  must  come  up  to  the  full  measure 
of  those  requirements. 

If  there  was  a  human  being  before  me  that  had 
never  sinned  till  this  evening  :  if,  in  all  his  life,  he  had 
never  stepped  aside  in  the  least  from  the  requirements 
of  God's  holy  law ':  if  all  his  thoughts  had  been  pure'as 
angels',  if  all  his  actions  had  been  as  holy  as  the  con- 
duct of  the  seraphim  around  the  throne,  and  never 
in  one  single  instance  had  he  transgressed  the  divine 


108  THE     SINNER    MUST 

law  till  this  evening — till  since  he  came  into  this 
house  ;  if,  while  sitting  here  in  silence,  one  wicked 
thought  had  risen  up  in  his  heart  in  rebellion  against 
God — that  one  thought  would  bring  down  upon  hijn 
the  whole  curse  of  the  law?  '' Whosoever  keepeth 
the  whole  law,  and  yet  offendeth  in  one  point,  is  guilty 
of  all." 

The  divine  law  requires  ''  a  submission  to  God 
uninterrupted  by  a  single  insurgent  feeling,  a  purity 
of  character  uncontaminated  by  a  single  spot,  and  a 
zeal  of  devotion  unrelaxing  in  a  single  purpose." 
Our  love  to  God  is  to  be  entire  and  supreme.  "  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind."  We  are 
to  love  God  not  simply  as  much  as  we  do  our  proper- 
ty, our  reputation,  or  our  friends.  We  may  love  him 
more  than  these,  and  still  not  come  up  to  the  require- 
ment. We  must  love  him  to  the  utmost  extent  of 
our  faculties,  even  as  the  angels  do  who  tread  the  ce- 
lestial courts.  All  the  powers  of  intellect,  all  the  capa- 
bilities of  moral  feeling,  all  the  ardor  and  intensity  of 
awakened  affections,  must  be  fixed  and  concentrated 
upon  God.  The  divine  law  requires  every  human 
creature  to  be  from  his  birth,  and  to  be  for  ever, 
what  the  angels  are  in  heaven,  in  point  of  purity  and 
holiness  ;  and  it  pours  its  everlasting  maledictions  on 
him  that  breaks  its  last  command:  ''  Cursed  is  he  that 
continueth  not  in  all  things  which  are  written  in  the 
book  of  the  law  to  do  them." 

Now,  unconverted  friend,  bearing  in  mind  that  the 
eye  of  God  is  on  you,  and  beholding  at  one  glance  all 
yotir  past  history,  bring  up  your  conduct,  and  measure 


BE    CONVINCED    OF    SIN.  109 

it  by  this  law,  and   see  then^  if  you  can   plead  not 
GUILTY  to  the  indictment  of  Jehovah. 

1.  First,  I  would  inquire,  have  all  the  requirements 
of  this  law  been  kept  1  Have  there  been  no  omissions 
of  duty  1  Have  you  loved  God  to  the  full  extent  of 
the  requirements  of  His  law  ?  Have  you  loved  him 
with  all  your  heart,  and  loved  Him  with  this  intensity 
of  affection  from  the  beginning  of  life,  to  the  present 
moment  ?  Have  you  worshipped  and  adored  your 
Creator  with  the  sinless  and  seraphic  devotion  whicli 
his  law  requires,  have  you  done  it  from  the  first,  and 
always  ?  In  these  acts  of  homage  and  adoration,  has 
there  been  a  concentration  of  all  the  powers  of  thought, 
of  feeling,  and  affection;  no  coldness,  no  wanderings, 
no  worshipping  with  the  lips,  while  the  heart  was  far 
from  God?  Let  conscience  speak.  What  is  the 
testimony  of  that  witness  for  God  within  thee  ?  If 
you  have  never  uttered  one  profane,  slanderous,  or 
idle  word,  have  you  consecrated  the  noble  faculty  of 
speech  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of  your  fellow 
men  ?  Have  the  praises  of  the  Most  High  ever  been 
on  your  tongue,  have  you  declared  his  goodness, 
and  done  all  that  in  you  lay,  to  recommend  the 
religion  of  the  cross,  and  persuade  all  men  to  become 
holy  1  Let  conscience  speak — what  is  its  testimony 
on  this  point?  Do  not  forget  that,  ^' if  your  heart 
cojidemns  you,  God  is  greater  than  your  heart,  and 
knoweth  all  things."  If  you  have  not  profaned  the 
Sabbath  by  worldly  business,  by  travelling,  by  visit- 
ing, by  idle  conversation,  by  vain  and  unprofitable 
thoughts,  have  you  kept  it  holy  ?  Has  the  whole  day 
been  filled  up 

"  With  thoughts  of  God,  and  things  divine  ?" 


110  THE    SINNER   MUST 

Have  those  parts  of  your  Sabbaths  which  were  not 
occupied  with  the  devotions  of  the  sanctuary,  been 
spent  in  prayer,  in  pious  reading,  and  devout  and 
holy  meditation  ?  And  did  you  relish  and  take  great 
delight  in  these  holy  exercises,  regarding  them  as 
sweet  foretastes  of  the  heavenly  rest  ?  Let  conscience 
speak — v/hat  is  its  testimony  on  this  point?  If  a 
parent,  have  you  set  before  your  children  a  good  and 
holy  example?  Have  you  daily  gathered  them 
around  the  family  altar,  and  prayed  with  them,  and 
for  them  ?  Have  you  taught  them  to  fear,  and  love, 
and  obey  God  ?  Have  you  told  them  in  tones  of  melt- 
ing kindness  of  the  stupendous  mercies  of  redemption, 
and  of  the  boundless  love  of  Christ?  Have  you  ever 
given  them  so  much  religious  instruction,  that,  if  they 
had  instruction  from  no  other  quarter,  their  feet  would 
be  guided  to  the  paradise  of  God  ?  Have  you  done 
your  duty  here  ?  Let  conscience  speak — what  is  its 
testimony  on  this  point  ? 

If  you  have  never  spoken  disrespectfully  to  your 
parents — never  openly  disobeyed  them — never  har- 
bored a  feeling  that  was  wrong  towards  them,  have 
you  paid  them  all  the  honour  which  the  divine  law 
requires?  Have  you  invariably  manifested  all  that 
kindness  and  affection  towards  them  which  was  their 
due,  and  sought,  by  every  means  in  your  power,  to 
show  some  grateful  returns  for  all  their  tender  and 
unwearied  solicitude  for  you  ?  Are  there  no  bitter 
recollections  connected  w^ith  your  neglect  of  duty  to 
them  ?  Let  conscience  speak — what  is  its  testimony 
upon  this  point  ? 

If  you  have  never  wronged  your  neighbour  in 
thought,  word,  or  deed — if  you  have  never  defrauded 


BE    CONVINCED    OF    SIN.  Ill 

him — ^never  calumniated  liim — never  spoken  evil  of 
him — never  cherished  a  feeling  of  hatred  towards 
him,  or  wished  him  evil — never  rejoiced  when  evil 
befel  him,  or  grieved  when  prosperity  attended  him, 
have  you  always,  and  in  all  things,  ''  done  unto  him  as 
you  would  that  he  should  do  unto  you?"  Have  you 
invariably  sought  to  do  good  to  all  around  )^ou? 
Have  you  exerted  yourself  to  the  utmost  extent  of 
your  ability  to  increase  human  happiness — to  stay  the 
waves  of  sin,  and  extend  righteousness?  Oh,  con- 
science! thou  witness  for  God,  now  bear  thy  testimony ^ 
as  thou  wilt  in  the  tremendous  day,  when  this  sinner 
shall  stand  at  the  bar  of  Christ !  Has  he  never  neg- 
lected, never  omitted  a  single  duty  ?  Has  he  from 
the  very  first,  and  always,  come  up  fully  to  every 
requirement  of  the  divine  law?  Conscience,  what 
sayest  thou  ?  Tell  me,  unconverted  friend,  what  is 
the  response  of  that  "  still  small  voice  "  in  thy  bosom  ? 
I  ask,  would  not  your  tongue  falter,  were  you  to  pre- 
sume, here  in  the  presence  of  a  heart-searching  God, 
to  claim  for  yourself  sinless  obedience  to  the  divine 
law  ?  Do  you  not  know,  in  your  own  heart,  that  you 
have  fallen  short  of  that  high  and  holy  standard, 
times  without  number?  ^' How,  then,  canst  thou 
say,  I  am  not  polluted?" 

2.  Again:  The  law  has  prohibitions  as  well  as 
precepts.  Will  your  conduct,  when  tried  by  these, 
be  approved  before  God  ?  Are  there  no  sins  of  com- 
mission set  down  against  you  in  the  book  of  everlasting 
remembrance  ?  Have  you  never  done  anything  which 
the  law  of  God  forbids  ?  What  does  conscience  say 
to  this  question?     Cannot  even  your  fellow- men  bear 


112  THE    SINNER   MUST 

testimony  against  you  on  this  point?  Have  you  passed 
so  sinless  through  the  work!  that  no  tongue  can  tell  of 
your  open  violations  of  the  divine  law  1  Can  you 
stand  up  here  to-night,  and  declare  that  your  outward 
conduct  has  been  such,  that  no  human  being  can  say 
that  you  have  broken  the  law  of  God'?  Will  not  some 
of  your  fellow-men,  in  the  day  of  judgment,  rise  up 
to  bear  witness  against  you'?  Have  you  never  dis- 
obeyed your  parents  1  Have  you  never  been  unkind 
to  your  friends '?  Have  you  never  wronged  any  of 
your  fellow-beings  1  Have  you  never  swerved  from 
the  truth — never  prevaricated — never  slandered  your 
neighbour  ?  Have  you  never  taken  God's  name  in 
vain — never  violated  the  Sabbath  1  Have  you  never 
been  guilty  of  impure  and  unchaste  conduct  1  Can 
you  stand  up  here  now,  and  challenge  the  whole 
world  to  produce  evidence  of  any  of  these  things 
against  you  1  If  not,  ''  How  canst  thou  say,  I  am  not 
polluted  1" 

But  even  if,  in  the  eye  of  the  world,  no  stain  rested 
upon  your  character,  would  you  dare  to  make  this 
appeal  to  the  all-seeing  God,  in  reference  to  your  past 
conduct]  Are  there  no  scenes,  in  which  you  have 
been  an  actor,  which  you  would  not  for  worlds  have 
exposed  1  Were  an  omniscient  Being  now  standing  in 
this  congregation,  and  about  to  reveal  all  that  you  have 
ever  done — about  to  lay  open  those  secret  and  care- 
fully concealed  parts  of  your  history,  that  you  have 
not  breathed  to  your  nearest  friends,  could  you  hold 
up  your  head  and  listen  to  the  recital  ?  Would  not 
your  countenance  be  mantled  with  color  deep  as 
crimson  dye? 

My  friend,  there  is  an  omniscient  eye  looking  on 


BE    CONVINCED    OF    SIN.  113 

you  !  The  great  and  dreadful  God  of  heaven  is  here! 
See  his  law  standing  before  you  with  all  its  high 
requirements,  and  hear  him  proclaiming  to  you, 
''  Though  thou  wash  thee  with  nitre,  and  take  thee 
much  scap,  yet  thine  iniquity  is  marked  before  me. 
How  canst  thou  say,  I  am  not  polluted  .?" 

Unconverted  friend,  let  me  be  honest  in  this  matter. 
Let  us  look  at  the  truth  as  it  is.  If  we  were  to  proceed 
no  farther — if  God  were  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  your 
soul  merely  in  reference  to  your  external  conduct, 
would  you  dare  to  face  him  at  his  tribunal  %  Would 
you  dare  to  stand  up  before  him  and  say,  '' I  am 
not  polluted  ?  No,  no.  Conscience  tells  you  that 
you  would  stand  there  trembling  and  condemned — 
that  your  sins  would  rise  up  around  you  in  countless 
numbers,  to  testify  to  the  justice  of  that  sentence 
which  would  consign  you  to  everlasting  banishment 
from  the  presence  of  God.  But  the  grand  fountain  of 
depravity  is  the  heart.  When  this  comes  to  be  laid 
open,  and  all  its  secret  workings  exposed,  there  is 
not  a  man  here — there  is  not  a  man  in  the  universe 
that  will  presume  to  say,  "  I  am  not  polluted.^ ^  And 
if  polluted,  my  hearer,  how  can  j'ou  be  admitted  into 
heaven — how  can  you  come  into  the  presence  of  God 
— hoAV  can  you  be  happy  in  his  presence,  unless  you 
are  cleansed  and  made  holy'?  If  you  are  under  the 
curse  of  God's  violated  law,  how  can  you  expect  to 
escape  the  awful  penalt}^,  and  go  up  and  walk  in  the 
light  of  his  countenance  ?  Oh,  you  must  see  and  feel 
your  sinfulness,  and  go  to  the  fountain  opened  for  sin 
and  uncleanness,  or  lie  down  for  ever  under  the 
dreadful  wrath  of  God  ! 


114  THE    SINNER   MUST 

I  purpose  next  Sunday  evening,  to  direct  your 
attention  to  the  evidences  of  human  sinfuhiess,  as 
evinced  by  the  moral  anatom}^  of  the  heart. 

I  must  now  draw  these  remarks  to  a  close.  Have  I  led 
any  one  to  have  a  more  just  and  adequate  idea  of  their 
state  and  standing  in  the  sight  of  God  ]  There  is  no 
one  thing  that  more  strikingly  proves  the  truth  of  God^s 
word  than  the  blindness  of  unconverted  men.  Though 
a  flood  of  divine  light  is  poured  around  their  footsteps, 
they  will  not  open  their  eyes  to  behold  their  guilt  and 
danger.  My  only  hope  is  that  the  Spirit  of  God  will 
be  poured  out  here  so  powerfully,  that  in  spite  of  all 
their  resistance,  dying  sinners  may  be  forced  to  see 
the  truth  and  call  on  God  for  mercy.  Often  have  I 
seen  those,  who  entertained  the  most  self-complacent 
views  of  their  own  character,  led  to  change  their  minds 
altogether  in  relation  to  themselves. 

A  striking  instance  of  this  now  occurs  to  me  :  I  was 
thrown  into  the  society  of  an  individual,  who  evi- 
dently possessed  strong  and  masculine  powers  of  in- 
tellect, and  passed  in  the  world  for  a  person  of  great 
intelligence,  and  high  moral  worth.  It  was  very 
obvious,  however,  after  a  very  brief  acquaintance,  that 
this  man  was  proud  of  his  own  moral  excellences. 
He  gloried  in  his  own  righteousness.  Indeed,  he  dis- 
tinctly said  to  me  :  '^  I  love  religion,  because  it  sus- 
tains morality.  I  have  ever  sought  to  do  my  duty ; 
and  I  have,  thank  God,  a  conscience  void  of  offence. 
If  I  thought  I  could  perform  my  duty  any  better  by 
becoming  a  professor  of  religion,  I  should  be  very 
willing  to  become  one."  This  was  his  view  of  the 
matter.     It  was  abundantly  evident  that  he  had  no 


BE     CONVINCED    OF    SIN.  115 

idea  of  his  own  sinfulness,  or  his  need  of  a  Saviour, 
But  observe  :  this  man  attended  upon  a  preached  gos- 
pel. The  Spirit  of  the  living  God  was  there  present ; 
only  a  few  weeks  elapsed  after  this  conversation  before 
the  truth  broke  in  upon  his  mind.  With  all  his  sup- 
posed righteousness,  he  now  saw  himself  a  condemned 
sinner,  in  the  hands  of  an  angry  God.  So  changed 
were  his  views  in  relation  to  himself— so  utterly  sin- 
ful did  he  now  appear  in  his  own  eyes,  that  he  could 
scarcely  be  persuaded  that  even  the  infnite  mercy  of 
God  could  reach  his  case — that  there  could  be  any 
salvation  for  one  who  was  so  vile  and  hell-deserving 
as  he  was. 

How  well  it  will  be,  dear  friends,  to  make  this  dis- 
covery as  to  our  real  character  before  it  is  for  ever  too 
late  to  be  benefited  by  the  discovery  !      This  is  not 
always  the  case.     Some  men  die  as  stupid   and  as 
ignorant  of  their  awful  sinfulness  in  the  sight  of  God, 
as  they  have  lived.     Oh,  what  a  tremendous  scene 
opens  upon  them  in  eternity  !    Others  continue  to  keep 
their  eyes  closed,  till  they  lie  stretched  on  a  dying  bed, 
and  then  the  truth  flashes  in  upon  them  in  a  moment. 
A  few  years  since,  a  case  of  this  kind  was  related  to 
me  by  a  friend,  under  Avhose  own  eye  it  happened  : 
One  who  had  lived  so  as  to  gain  the  general  esteem 
of  his  neighbours,  and  who  had  reached  a  good  old  age, 
was  at  length  laid  on  the  bed  of  death.     The  thought 
of  going  into  the  unveiled  presence  of  God,  to  be  tried 
for  his  soul,  awoke  him  from  his  spiritual  slumbers. 
He  sent  for  his  pastor,  and  upon  his  arrival,  said  to 
him  :  "  Why  have  you  not  plainly  told  me  of  my  guilt, 
and  laid  before  me  my  danger  ?"     The  pastor  replied  : 
^'  I  have  repeatedly  in  the  pulpit,  yea,  constantly  pro- 


116  THE     SINNER    MUST 

claimed  the  guilt  and  danger  of  all  unconverted  men." 
''  But,^^  said  this  awakened  and  dying  sinner,  '^  I  al- 
ways thought  that  you  were  speaking  to  others.  JYow 
I  feel  that  I  am  the  man  :  and  7iow  it  is  too  late  !  Oh, 
what  a  load  of  guilt  is  now  on  my  soul.  Three  score 
years  and  ten  have  I  lived,  and  neglected  God  all  the 
time !  I  used  to  think  I  was  ready  and  prepared  to 
meet  him  :  but  I  did  not  then  see  the  exceeding 
wickedness  of  my  heart,  and  now  it  is  too  late.  Oh, 
if  I  could  live  only  one  week — only  one  week — how 
would  I  luork  to  save  my  soul.  But  I  cannot  do  it — 
I  cannot  do  it — I  am  lost,  for  I  feel  that  even  now  I 
am  dying  !"  It  was  indeed  so  !  The  ghastly  hue  of 
death  sat  upon  his  countenance,  and  though  his  pas- 
tor sought  to  direct  him  to  Christ,  no  comfort  dawned 
upon  this  aged  sinner.  In  the  midst  of  his  distracting 
fears  and  bitter  anguish,  the  string  of  life  broke 
asunder,  and  his  soul  was  hurried  away  to  the  judg- 
ment bar  to  hear  the  sentence  that  sealed  its  everlast- 
ing doom. 

I  will  only  add,  will  it  not  be  better  to  see  and  feel 
our  malady,  while  we  still  dwell  in  ImmanuePs  land, 
and  while  a  voice  is  still  coming  upon  our  ear  saying, 
''  there  is  balm  in  Gilead,  and  a  physician  there," 
rather  than  wait  and  make  the  discovery  just  as  the 
iron  gates  of  despair  are  closing  upon  us  for  ever.  One 
thing  is  certain,  that  he  who  does  not  see  and  deplore 
his  guilt  here,  will  see  and  deplore  it  through  the  waste- 
less ages  of  eternity. 

My  dying  hearer,  then  come  to  the  light.  See  that 
you  are  polluted.     Neither  deny,  nor  attempt  to  con- 


BE     CONVINCED    OF    SIN.  117 

ceal  3^0111'  exceeding  sinfulness  :  but  come  to  the  foun- 
tain of  Immanuel's  blood,  and  wash  and  be  clean. 
This  you  cannot  do  as  long  as  you  remain  unconverted. 
Do  not  forget  that  while  you  continue  in  this  state, 
you  are  under  wrath  and  condemnation. 


DISCOURSE     VI. 

THE     SINFULNESS     OF    AN    UNCONVERTED     STATE. 
"  How  canst  thou  say  I  am  not  polluted  ?" — Jer.  ii.  23. 

In  the  last  Discourse  we  saw  that  the  text  called 
our  attention  to  a  great  controversy  pending  between 
Jehovah  and  impenitent  sinners.  He  had  brought  a 
charge  of  unmeasured  depravity  against  them,  to 
which  they  refused  to  plead  guilty.  To  convict  them 
out  of  their  own  mouths,  he  invited  them  to  testify 
against  him,  to  show,  if  they  could,  any  defect  in  his 
government,  any  unkindness  in  his  dealings,  any 
injustice  in  his  laws.  The  result  of  an  examination 
of  the  government  under  which  they  were  living,  and 
of  the  laws  appointed  to  regulate  their  conduct  was, 
and  in  every  case  will  be,  to  fasten  upon  the  mind  a 
conviction  of  the  benevolence  of  that  government,  of 
the  rectitude  of  those  laws,  and  of  the  goodness,  and 
wisdom,  and  holiness  of  the  divine  Being  from  whom 
they  proceeded. 

But  these  laws  have  been  broken,  and  the  authority 
of  this  divine  Being  contemptuously  trodden  under 
foot  by  every  sinner,  and  they  who  refuse  to  turn 
from  their  sins,  still  continue  to  trample  on  God's  law, 


THE  SINFULNESS  OF  AN  UNCONVERTED  STATE.     119 

and  to  set  his  authority  at  defiance  ;  and  hence,  He 
appeals  to  them  in  tlie  language  of  the  text — "  How 
canst  thou  say  I  am  not  polluted  V  We  attempted  to 
show  last  Sunday  evening  the  awful  guilt,  and 
exceeding  sinfulness  of  every  one  who  continued  in 
an  unconverted  state.  And  we  do  think  it  was  made 
evident,  that  a  comparison  of  our  conduct  with  the 
high  and  holy  law  of  God,  entirely  sustained  the 
charge  preferred  against  us,  and  clearly  showed  that 
'•'•  every  mouth  will  be  stopped,  and  all  the  world  be- 
come guilty  before  God."  We  were  then  principally 
occupied  in  contemplating  overt  acts  of  sin,  either  of 
omission  or  commission.  But  these  by  no  means  con- 
stitute the  largest  class  of  offences  against  God.  The 
heart  is  the  grand  fountain  from  which  all  this 
evil  floAVs.  There^  within^  concealed  from  every  eye, 
but  the  all-seeing  eye  of  God,  are  sin  and  depravity 
enough  to  desolate  the  universe.  Oh,  what  cham- 
bers of  imagery  are  there  !  That  fearful  sight  which 
the  Prophet  saw  in  the  sanctuary,  when  he  beheld 
every  form  of  creeping  things  and  abominable  beasts, 
portrayed  upon  the  wall  round  about,  gives  to  us  an 
exact  idea  of  the  unregenerate  human  heart.  If  the 
tongue,  unrestrained  by  divine  grace,  is  ''  a  world  of 
iniquity,^'  what  must  the  unsanctified  heart  be,  from 
Avhence  it  draws  all  its  evil,  its  fuel  and  its  fires'?  Is 
it  not,  in  the  language  of  St.  James,  that  "  helP' 
which  sets  the  tongue  on  fire  ?  Well  may  it  be  said 
that,  '^  The  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and 
desperately  ivicked.^^  This  is  God's  own  testimony 
— "  the  heart  is  desperately  wicked.^' 

The  Lord   does  not  say  this  of  the  profligate    and 
abandoned  alone,  but  of  every  human  creature.     And 


120  THE    SINFULNESS    OF 

I  desire  to  have  it  distinctly  understood,  that  the 
argument  we  are  conducting  to  prove  the  awful  guilt 
and  exceeding  sinfulness  of  every  one  who  lives  in  an 
unconverted  state,  applies  not  simply  to  the  immoral 
and  openly  vicious,  but  to  the  most  amiable  and  lovely 
character  on  this  globe,  if  the  heart  of  that  individual 
has  not  been  renewed  by  divine  grace. 

I  stand  on  the  high  vantage  ground  of  divine  truth, 
when  I  affirm  of  such  an  one,  that  with  all  those 
adornments  of  external  virtue — with  all  that  kindness 
and  gentleness  and  sweetness  of  temper,  '^  the  carnal 
mind  is  there ^  which  is  enmity  against  God."  Yea, 
that  that  heart,  in  the  eye  of  infinite  purity,  is  '^  desper- 
ately wicked. ^"^  Let  us  look  at  this  subject  for  a  mo- 
ment. That  the  heart  is  desperately  wicked  can  be 
shown  from  the  state  of  its  affections,  and  from  the 
stream  of  iniquity  that  is  continually  flowing  from  it. 

1.  The  state  of  its  affections.  The  Scriptures  assure 
us,  ''  that  the  heart  of  the  sons  of  men  is  fully  set  in 
them  to  do  evil."  The  affections  are  withdrawn  from 
God,  and  fixed  in  love  and  strong  attachment  upon 
what  he  abhors.  The  habitual  desires  of  the  heart 
are  after  those  things  which  are  exceedingly  offensive 
to  God.  All  the  acts  of  sin  which  unconverted  men 
commit  are  not  half  so  offensive  to  God,  as  the  state 
of  their  affections.  They  cherish  in  their  bosoms  a 
fixed  dislike  and  opposition  to  the  requirements  of 
God's  law.  They  will  not  bow  to  His  authority,  but 
are  fully  resolved  to  go  on  and  rebel  more  and  more. 
''  The  carnal,  or  unrenewed  mind,  is  enmity  against 
God,  not  subject  to  his  law,  neither  indeed  can  be." 
It  is  the  state  of  the  sinner^ s  heart,  which  marks  him  as 
infinitely  polluted  in  the  eye  of  God.     His  sins  merely 


AN    UNCONVERTED    STATE.  121 

show  what  the  state  of  his  heart  is.  I  will  endeavour 
to  illustrate  this  idea. 

You  have  a  clerk,  with  whom  you  entrust  your 
business,  and  who,  unbeknown  to  you,  purloins  a  small 
sum  eacli  week  from  moneys  that  come  into  his  hands. 
You  have  a  large  business  and  can  spare  it  perfectly 
well,  and,  but  for  an  accidental  detection,  would 
never  have  known  it.  But  after  this  detection,  would 
you  be  willing  to  go  on,  and  leave  your  business  in 
his  hands  ?  No  :  you  might  not  care  so  much  for  the 
amount  of  which  you  have  been  robbed,  but  this  act 
of  petty  pilfering  has  revealed  to  you  the  character  of 
this  man.  It  has  shown  you  that  he  is  destitute  of 
honesty — that  he  only  wants  the  opportunity,  and  the 
prospect  of  concealment,  and  there  is  no  sum  so  large 
that  he  would  not  la}''  his  grasp  upon  it.  This  act 
has  let  )^ou  into  the  state  of  his  heart,  and  convinced 
you  that  he  is  a  corrupt  and  unprincipled  man.  In 
like  manner  the  least  sin  committed  against  God 
knowingly  and  intentionally,  shows  the  state  of  the 
sinner's  heart.  A  man  may  regard  the  violation  of 
the  Sabbath,  or  the  neglect  of  prayer,  as  a  trifling 
matter  ;  but  this  infraction  of  the  divine  law  shows 
what  the  state  of  that  man's  heart  is.  It  shows  that 
he  has  no  respect  for  the  authority  of  God,  and  that 
there  is  no  sin  that  he  would  not  commit  if  the  temp- 
tation were  sufiiciently  great. 

If  you  had  a  son  whom  you  had  nurtured  and 
brought  up,  and  that  son  had  no  affection  for  you, 
but  felt  so  embittered  against  you  that  he  had  mingled 
poison  with  your  food,  how  would  you  feel  if  you  lay 
dying  under  the  influence  of  this  poison?  With  what 
an  eye  would  you  look  upon  this  child,  as  he  stood  bv 
6 


122  THE    SINFULNESS    OF 

your  bed  1  Oh,  if  he  were  penitent,  if  the  tear  trickled 
down  his  cheek,  and  you  saw  the  evidences  of  re- 
turning affection  gushing  forth,  you  could  forgive  him 
all.  But  if  he  stood  there  unmoved,  cherishing  the 
same  parricidal  feelings — ready,  should  medical  skill 
arrest  the  fatal  poison,  to  plot  your  death  in  some 
other  way,  would  not  the  state  of  his  heart,  his  pres- 
ent feelings,  more  affect  you  than  all  he  had  done  1 
In  the  same  manner,  the  state  of  the  sinner's  feel- 
ings and  heart  presents  a  most  affecting  view  of  his 
exceeding  sinfulness.  After  all  his  sins,  he  continues 
unchanged.  He  is  not  sorry  that  he  has  offended 
God,  but  he  is  ready  to  go  on  and  sin  more  and  more. 
Does  not  this  clearly  show  that  his  hea7't  is  desperately 
ivicked  ? 

2.  Again.  This  is  also  proved  by  the  stream  of 
iniquity  that  is  continually  flowing  from  the  sinner's 
heart.  We  have  seen  what  this  stream  is,  when  it 
reaches  that  point  where  it  spreads  out  into  visible 
and  overt  acts.  But  here  it  puts  on  a  thousand  false 
semblances,  and  often  appears  w^hat  it  is  not.  We 
must  go  nearer  to  the  fountain  to  know  what  the 
stream  is.  We  must  lay  open  the  human  heart,  and 
see  its  moral  anatomy ;  we  must  penetrate  into  its 
chambers  of  secret  thought,  observe  its  hidden  work- 
ings, and  all  its  varied  moral  movements,  before  we 
can  see  the  full,  emphatic  meaning  of  that  divine  as- 
severation, which  declares  that  it  is  desperately  wicked. 
Let  the  divine  law  be  applied  to  the  thoughts,  pur- 
poses, and  desires  of  the  heart,  and  the  result  will 
show  whether  that  heart  is  desperately  wicked — 
whether  unconverted  men  are  polluted  or  not.  Will 
you  allow  me,  then,  to  hold  up  this  perfect  rule,  and 


AN    UNCONVERTED    STATE.  123 

apply  it  to  each  one  of  you?  And  may  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  I  proceed,  shed  illumination  into  the  dark 
chambers  of  every  unregcnerate  heart !  ! 

As  to  open  violations  of  the  law,  you  may  be  com- 
paratively blameless;  but  how  is  it  with  your  thoughts 
and  desires  ?  Let  us  recur  to  the  first  and  highest 
requirement  in  the  statute  book  of  Jehovah,  '^  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart. ^^  Have 
you  ever  thus  loved  God  ?  Have  you  not  valued  the 
merest  trifles  more  than  Jehovah  ?  Have  you  not 
thought  more  of  fashion,  and  dress,  and  money,  than 
of  the  favour  of  God  ?  Have  you  not  loved  Him  less 
than  your  friends — less  than  your  property-^less  than 
your  worldly  pleasures?  Then  every  day,  every 
hour,  and  every  moment  since  you  became  a  moral 
agent,  you  have  broken  the  first  and  highest  law  of 
God!  What  a  stream  of  iniquity  has  been  flowing 
from  this  point !  Consider  your  very  best  actions. 
You  have  sometimes  attempted  to  pray.  Am  I  mis- 
taken ?  If  I  am,  there  is  no  need  of  my  attempting 
to  prove  that  j^ou  have  a  desperately  wicked  heart.  If 
when  your  best  friend — your  constant  benefactor — the 
Being  from  whom  you  have  received  all  your  mer- 
cies, daily  condescends  to  hold  intercourse  with  you, 
invites  you  to  come  into  his  presence,  and  by  his  high 
and  holy  authority,  says,  "  thou  shalt  worship  the 
Lord  thy  God  " — you  have  never  yet  worshipped 
him — never  spoken  to  him — never  held  converse  with 
him  ;  what  further  evidence  is  necessary  to  show  that 
your  heart  is  utterly  turned  aw^ay  from  God  and  good- 
ness ?  If  you  have  ever  attempted  to-  pray,  how  did 
you  perform  this  duty  ?  Were  all  your  thoughts  on 
God  ?     Did  the  glory  of  His  perfections  fill  and  fire 


124  THE    SINFULNESS    OF 

your  soul  ?  Did  your  heart  burn  with  divine  love, 
and  all  the  powers  of  your  mind  become  absorbed  in 
the  contemplation  of  the  divine  excellence  ?  Were 
the  glow^ing  sentiments  of  your  heart,  then,  "Whoin 
have  I  in  heaven  but  thee — and  there  is  none  upon  earth 
that  I  desire y  in  co7nparison  with  thee  ?"  Were  these 
your  feelings  ?  Or  was  not  your  heart  cold,  and  your 
thoughts  w^anderingto  the  ends  of  the  earth?  When 
in  the  very  act  and  attitude  of  prayer,  have  you  not 
been  thinking  about  your  business — about  making 
money — about  political  movements — about  literary 
pursuits — about  pleasure — about  anything  but  God  1 
If,  then,  in  the  very  best  action  wdiich  you  ever  under- 
took to  perform,  you  have  done  it  w^ith  such  feelings 
of  heart  as  to  insult  the  high  majesty  of  heaven,  must 
you  not  have  a  wdcked  heart,  and  how  can  you  say  I 
am  not  polluted  ? 

Unconverted  friend,  stand  up  before  the  pure  and 
holy  law  of  God,  and  look  at  yourself  in  this  divine 
mirror,  and  you  will  soon  exclaim  Avith  the  prophet, 
in  reference  to  yourself,  ''  The  whole  head  is  sick, 
and  the  wiiole  heart  faint.  From  the  sole  of  the  foot 
even  unto  the  head,  there  is  no  soundness  in  it;  but 
wounds  and  bruises,  and  putrifying  sores." 

Is  it  not  a  fact  that  you  have  spent  the  greater  part 
of  life  without  considering  what  you  did,  or  caring 
whether  you  did  it  well,  or  ill  ?  Oh,  Avhat  a  stream 
of  sin,  in  the  form  of  purposes  and  desires,  has  rolled 
from  your  heart !  In  looking  back  you  can  now  see 
that  many  of  those  desires  were  wrong.  But  how 
many  there  are  that  pass  you,  like  the  motes  that  play 
upon  the  sun-beam,  and  elude  all  your  endeavours  to 
examine  or  pursue  them !     There  are  ten  thousand 


AN     UNCONVERTED    STATE.  125 

times  ten  thousand  evil  purposes  which  have  once 
heen  in  your  mind,  that  you  have  now  entirely  for- 
gotten. How  often  has  pride  risen  up  there  !  What 
vain  and  foolish  desires  have  been  cherished !  What 
feelings  of  hatred,  of  malevolence,  of  envy,  of  lust, 
have  been  there !  What  unchaste,  impure,  and 
unholy  thoughts !  Oh,  you  would  not  disclose  for 
worlds,  to  your  best  friend,  what  has  passed  through 
your  mind  !  And  yet,  God  has  seen  it  all,  and  know^s 
it  all !  Yes,  all  those  secret  sins  of  the  heart  are  writ- 
ten down  in  the  book  of  His  remembrance — a  book, 
which  will  one  day  be  opened,  and  out  of  which  you 
will  be  judged  ! 

Unconverted  hearer,  no\v  look  at  yourself,  and  see 
how  you  appear  in  the  eye  of  God  !  Are  you  disposed 
to  gather  around  you  the  good  deeds  which  you  have 
done,  to  set  off  against  these  ?  Why,  though  you  had 
performed  ten  thousand  deeds  of  angelic  purity,  they 
could  not  silence  the  voice  of  these  sins,  that  are  cry- 
ing to  heaven  for  vengeance !  But  where  are  your 
good  deeds  ?  W^rite  them  all  down  before  you — look 
at  them.  The  great  question  is,  will  God  approve  of 
them '?  The  motive  from  which  tliey  were  done  must 
determine  that.  He  looks  upon  the  heart,  not  upon 
the  outward  appearance.  From  the  list  of  your  good 
deeds,  therefore,  you  will  have  to  remove  all  that 
were  done  simply  to  please  yourself  or  others  ;  all  that 
were  done  from  a  regard  to  the  opinion  of  the  world, 
or  from  motives  of  self-aggrandizement ;  all  that  were 
done  to  raise  yourself,  or  to  gain  applause ;  all  that 
were  done  from  the  fear  of  punishment,  or  to  purchase 
future  happiness.  Having  removed  these,  how  many 
do  you  think  would  remain]     In  this  whole  list,  how 


126  THE    SINFULNESS    OF 

many  would  be  found  upon  which  there  was  no 
blemishj  nor  stain — which  proceeded  purely/rom  love 
to  God,  and  were  entirely  holy  and  sinless  1  How 
many  such  would  be  found  1  Not  one — not  one ! 
There  is  not  a  single  act  in  your  life,  when  measured 
by  the  high  and  holy  law  of  God,  that  would  not  be 
found  sinful.  You  have  never  done  one  single  thing 
in  all  your  life,  that  comes  up  fully  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  divine  law.  Every  desire  of  your  heart, 
every  purpose  of  your  mind,  every  affection  of  your 
soul,  however  good  it  was,  when  weighed  in  the 
scales  of  infinite  rectitude,  Avill  be  found  wanting. 
You  have,  therefore,  done  nothing  but  sin  all  your 
life.  And  how,  then,  I  ask,  in  the  name  of  all  that 
is  high  and  holy,  can  you  say,  ''  I  am  not  polluted /^^ 

I  wish  to  be  understood  as  making  this  appeal  to 
every  unconverted  person  in  this  assembly.  There 
may  be  here,  this  evening,  some  who  have  been 
grossly  immoral ;  there  may  be  here,  some  who  are 
profane  swearers,  sabbath-breakers,  gamblers,  drunk- 
ards, whore-mongers,  and  adulterers.  God  knows 
who  they  are,  and  he  has  sworn  that  such  shall  not 
enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven  !  If  they  do  not  repent, 
and  flee  from  the  wrath  which  their  vile  abominations 
have  stirred  up,  as  the  Lord  liveth,  they  Avill  quickly 
be  in  the  bottomless  pit ! 

But  I  am  not  now  speaking  particularly  to  such. 
God  bids  me  lay  the  charge  of  infinite  guilt  at  the 
door  of  every  unconverted  person  in  this  audience. 

My  unconverted  hearer  may  be  a  literary  man,  de- 
voted to  one  of  the  learned  professions  ;  he  may  have 
cultivated  his  intellectual  faculties  and  elevated  them 
to  a  high  point  of  improvement,  for  the  good  of  his 


AN    UNCONVERTED     STATE.  137 

race.  His  mind  may  have  no  sympathy  with  the 
empty  vanities  and  idle  frivolities  with  which  he  is 
surrounded.  His  affections  may  have  no  tendency  to 
descend,  and  fasten  upon  the  low  and  grovelling 
pleasures  of  sense.  He  may  breathe  in  the  pure  at- 
mosphere of  intellectual  existence,  and  find  employ- 
ment for  all  his  elevated  powers  in  exploring  the 
fields  of  useful  knowledge.  And  yet,  if  his  heart  has 
not  been  changed — if  he  haus  not  been  created  anew 
in  Christ  Jesus,  when  he  comes  to  stand  by  the  side 
of  God's  holy  law,  it  will  be  seen  that  he  is  a  rebel 
against  heaven — polluted^  and  covered  over  with 
crimson  guilt. 

My  unconverted  hearer  may  be  a  most  estimable 
citizen.  He  may  be  the  kind  husband,  affectionate 
father.  Uprightness  and  honesty  may  characterize 
his  dealings ;  he  may  be  forward  in  the  promotion  of 
every  scheme  which  has  for  its  object  the  moral  and 
religious  improvement  of  his  species.  His  whole  ex- 
ternal conduct  may  wear  the  aspect  of  spotless  virtue. 
Yet  if  his  heart  has  not  been  changed  and  purified, 
and  brought  into  entire  submission  to  Jehovah — if  a 
new  principle  of  divine  life  has  not  been  lodged  there 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  when  tried  by  God's 
high  and  holy  law,  there  will  be  found  a  load  of  guilt 
upon  his  soul  which  will  sink  him  down  to  the  depths 
of  perdition ! 

My  unconverted  hearer  may  be  a  lovely  female — 
the  charm  and  ornament  of  every  circle  in  which  she 
moves.  Maternal  solicitude  may  have  eagerly  sought 
to  instil  into  her  heart  every  principle  of  virtue,  and 
to  spread  over  her  character  every  winning  grace. 
All  that  is  sweet  and  amiable  in  temper,  kind  and 


128  THE    SINFULNESS    OF 

condescending  in  manners,  gentle  and  attractive  in 
virtue,  may  have  been  most  assiduously  wrought  into 
her  character,  and  thrown  over  her  whole  demeanor. 
And  yet,  if  there  has  not  been  a  radical  change  in  her 
heart  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  if  she  has  not 
repented  truly  of  her  sins,  if  she  has  not  been  con- 
verted and  made  a  child  of  God  by  spiritual  regenera- 
tion ;  if  she  does  not  now  stand  sheltered  beneath  the 
wings  of  covenanted  mercy,  if  her  soul  has  not  been 
sprinkled  with  the  atoning  blood  of  Jesus,  w^ith  all 
the  graces  and  virtues  that  adorn  her  character,  there 
will  be  found  beneath  this  external  covering  such 
stains  of  guilt,  such  rebellion  against  God,  such  oppo- 
sition to  his  law,  as  will  draw  down  upon  her  its  ever- 
lasting curse  ! 

Unconverted  hearer,  whoever  thou  art,  a  mountain 
of  guilt  is  on  thy  soul !  Look  at  the  pure  and  perfect, 
the  high  and  holy  law  of  God,  and  see  if  it  be  not  so. 
Oh,  that  you  felt  the  weight  of  the  load  you  carry  ! 
You  w^ill  feel  it  one  day  !  It  may  press  you  down 
amid  consuming  fires  ybr  ever, 

God  in  this,  his  great  controversy,  has  been  plead- 
ing with  you  to-night.  He  has  shown  you,  that  your 
heart  was  desperately  wicked^  and  your  whole  soul 
polluted  in  his  sight.  What  reply  have  you  to  make  ? 
What  reason  have  you  to  assign  why  the  Jaw  should 
not  take  its  course  1  What  can  you  do  ?  You  are  con- 
demned, altogether  condemned.  You  have  no  Christ 
— no  refuge  to  which  you  can  flee.  You  must  go  to 
the  judgment  bar,  and  be  tried  by  that  law  which  pro- 
claims, ''  The  soul  that  sinneth  it  shall  die.^'    . 

Jehovah  from  highest  heaven,  looking  down  upon 
earth,  declares,  ''  There  is  none  that  doeth  good,  no 


AN    UNCONVERTED    STATE.  129 

not  one."  The  law  responds,  '^  Cursed  be  every  one 
that  sinneth  against  God."  "  Let  wrath  come  upon 
them,  and  let  them  go  down  quick  into  hell,  for  I  have 
seen  iniquity  in  them  all. "  Your  conscience  instantly 
replies,  "  I  am  one  of  that  wretched  number  polluted 
in  the  eye  of  heaven,  and  doomed  to  darkness  and 
death." 

My  dear  hearer,  I  would  not  have  you  think,  for  a 
moment,  that  in  all  this  attempt  to  convince  you  of 
your  sinfulness  and  moral  pollution,  I  have  forgotten 
that  the  same  arguments  that  prove  your  guilt,  are 
equally  valid  against  myself.  No  :  nor  have  I  forgot- 
ten that  I  was  once  as  blind  to  my  guilt  as  you  are ! 
I  can  never  be  thankful  enough  to  God  that  my  eyes 
were  opened  to  see  the  pollution  of  my  unregenerate 
soul.  If  saved  from  that  pollution,  it  is  only  through 
grace.  I  feel  that  there  is  nothing  between  me  and 
an  eternal  hell,  but  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  I  expect 
to  enter  heaven  in  no  other  character  than  as  a  par- 
doned criminal.  I  would  say  to  all  you  whom  I  have 
been  trying  to  convince  of  your  sinfulness, — I  stand  on 
the  same  ground  with  you.  I  have  heard,  yea,  I 
know,  that  there  is  "  Balm  in  Gilead,  and  a  physician 
there."  I  would  fain  lead  you  to  that  Great  Physi- 
cian, whose  healing  power  I  have  felt.  I  would  per- 
suade you  to  wash  in  the  fountain  of  LnmanuePs  blood 
and  be  clean,  that  you  may  go  along  with  me  to  the 
celestial  city,  and  be  for  ever  happy  with  God.  This 
is  the  sole  reason  why  I  have  spoken  to  you  so  plainly 
to-night.  I  know  that  you  will  never  go  to  that  great 
physician,  that  you  will  never  seek  to  be  cleansed  in 
the  fountain  of  a  Saviour's  blood,  till  you  see  and  feel 
6^ 


130  THE    SINFULNESS    OF 

your  guilt.  Let  the  law  then  be  applied  to  your  con- 
duct, and  the  workings  of  your  heart  bring  to  you  a 
knowledge  of  your  exceeding  sinfulness.  Let  me,  be- 
fore I  bring  this  discourse  to  a  conclusion,  direct  your 
attention  to  some  of  the  aggravations,  under  which 
your  sins  have  been  committed. 

(1.)  The  first  consideration  I  would  suggest,  is  de- 
rived from  the  character  of  sin.  Sin  is  the  transgression 
of  the  law.  The  law,  as  we*  have  already  seen,  is  a 
transcript  of  the  divine  mind — a  disclosure  of  the  divine 
will  in  reference  to  us.  Obedience  to  the  law,  there- 
fore, is  a  compliance  with  the  express  wishes  of  God. 
Whatever  the  divine  Being  wills,  must  necessarily  tend 
to  his  own  glory,  and  the  happiness  of  all  created  in- 
telligences. To  sin,  to  violate  the  law  of  God,  there- 
fore, is  to  act  in  opposition  to  His  will ;  and,  conse- 
quently, is  nothing  short  of  a  direct  effort  to  rob  Jeho- 
vah of  his  glory,  and  to  destroy  the  happiness  of  the 
whole  intelligent  creation. 

How  peculiarly  aggravated,  then,  must  your  con- 
duct appear  in  the  eye  of  God,  when  3^ou  consider  that 
you  have  done  nothing  all  your  life  long  but  sin  ;  and 
that  in  thus  sinning  you  have  done  all  that  you  could 
to  subvert  the  throne  of  God — to  strip  him  of  his  eter- 
nal glory,  and  to  pour  misery  and  desolation  over  the 
universe  ;  and  that  if  all  intelligent  beings  had  done 
as  you  have  done,  heaven  would  have  been  desolated, 
God  would  have  had  no  worshippers  ;  instead  of  the 
harps  of  glory,  the  wailings  of  wo  would  have  been 
heard  around  the  throne,  and  the  whole  universe 
would  have  been  converted  into  one  boundless  Hell ! 

(2.)  Another  aggravation  connected  with  your 
career  of  sin,  is,  that  all  the  violations  of  the  divine 


AN     UNCONVERTED    STATE.  131 

law,  of  which  yon  have  heen  guihy,  lop.re  voluntary 
acts.  You  have  cast  the  precepts  of  the  Most  High 
behind  you,  and  trampled  upon  his  holy  law  know- 
ingly and  intentionally.  You  chose  to  break  the  law 
of  God.  You  did  it  voluntarily.  You  have  from  pre- 
ference walked  in  the  way  of  trangression.  There  is 
not  a  sin  which  memory  now  calls  up  before  you,  that 
you  might  not  have  avoided.  If  you  could  not  have 
avoided  it,  you  would  now  feel  no  compunction — no 
remorse.  You  deliberately  chose  the  path  of  trans- 
gression. Notwithstanding  the  everlasting  God  had 
laid  down  his  commands,  and  threatened  to  pour  upon 
you  the  thunder  of  his  terrible  wrath  if  you  disobeyed , 
you  paid  no  attention  to  his  command  or  threat,  but, 
in  direct  defiance  of  Him,  put  your  hand  to  the  ac- 
cursed thing — not  once^  or  tioice^  but  a  thousand  times, 
every  hour.  You  still  continue  to  do  it.  You  sit  here 
before  God  to-night  in  the  midst  of  your  sins,  a  volun- 
tary transgressor  !  '^  How  then  canst  thou  say  I  am 
not  polluted'?" 

(3.)  Another  aggravation  under  which  your  sins 
have  been  committed,  is  that  you  have  broken  God's 
law  in  the  midst  of  light  and  knowledge.  You 
have  had  abundant  knowledge  to  direct  you.  You 
^'  were  born  in  Immanuel's  land  ;  and  God  hath 
written  to  you  the  great  things  of  his  law.  You  have 
known  to  do  good,  and  have  not  done  it."  Your  cradle 
song  was  one  of  Zion's  hymns.  The  mother  that 
bore  and  nursed  you,  told  you  when  you  sat  upon  her 
knee,  of  Jesus  and  eternal  life.  From  your  earliest 
infancy  you  have  enjoyed  the  most  abundant  oppor- 
tunities, both  in  public  and  private,  of  instruction  in 
divine  things.     With  you,  it  has  been  line  upon  line, 


132  THE    SINFULNESS    OF 

and  precept  upon  precept.  The  word  of  God  has  been 
in  your  hands,  and  the  voice  of  parents  and  pastors 
continually  in  your  ear.  The  exhibitions  of  divine 
truth,  which  every  returning  Sabbath  has  brought  to 
your  notice,  have  been  like  a  voice  continually  behind 
you,  saying,  '''  this  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it.'^  There 
has  been  pointed  out  to  you  ten  thousand  times,  the 
narrow  path  that  leadeth  unto  life,  but  you  have  not 
walked  therein. 

(4.)  Another  aggravation  is,  that  you  have  continued 
to  sin,  under  solemn  vows  and  promises  of  amend- 
ment. Most  probably  j^ou  have  several  times  been 
awakened,  and  resolved  to  turn  to  God.  But  when 
you  again  stepped  into  the  world,  its  allurements 
again  came  before  you,  and  you  turned  back  to  pur- 
sue your  old  courses.  Or,  perhaps,  you  were  laid 
upon  a  bed  of  sickness  and  brought  to  the  border  of 
the  grave.  As  you  lay  there,  weak,  languid  and  almost 
lifeless,  you  looked  up  to  the  Lord  and  solemnly  pro- 
mised Him,  that  if  He  would  raise  you  up,  and  restore 
you  to  health,  you  would  immediately  enter  upon  his 
service.  But  as  soon  as  the  glow  of  health  again  sat 
upon  your  cheek,  and  you  were  again  able  to  mingle 
in  the  scenes  and  engagements  of  life,  you  returned 
to  your  sins — your  vows  were  forgotten  ;  yea,  God 
and  all  his  mercy  were  forgotten  and  despised. 

(5.)  Another  aggravation  to  be  noticed  is,  that  you 
have  sinned  against  the  remonstrances  of  conscience, 
and  the  strivings  of  God's  Holy  Spirit.  Consult  the 
records  of  conscience,  and  see  if  it  be  not  so.  Ah ! 
Avhen  your  lips  have  been  justifying  yourself — when 
you  have  been  speaking  lightly  of  some  solemn  ser- 
mon that  you  have  heard — when  you  have  been  try- 


AN    UNCONVERTED    STATE.  133 

ing  to  impress  those  around  you  with  the  idea  that 
you  were  entirely  unconcerned,  and  you  would  go  on 
and  sin,  has  there  not  been  a  voice,  a  witness  within, 
that  told  you,  you  were  wrong — that  you  were  pro- 
voking God — that  you  were  offending  the  Everlasting 
One? 

These  remonstrances  of  conscience,  when  enforced 
by  the  strivings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  often  very  loud 
and  imperative.  Oftentimes  under  their  influence, 
impenitent  men  cannot  stay  away  from  the  sanctuary, 
although,  every  time  they  visit  it,  they  depart  from 
hearing  the  w^ord  in  a  rage,  because  conscience,  sum- 
moned to  its  office,  arrays  before  them,  wdiile  listening 
to  that  word,  their  sins  in  all  their  length  and  breadth. 
They  are  truly  unhappy.  Though  conscience  remon- 
strates, and  the  Sjjirit  of  God  bids  them  stop,  they 
will  go  on  and  sin.  The  goadings  of  conscience  and 
the  rebukes  of  the  Spirit  often  follow  men  into  the 
gayest  scenes  in  which  the  thoughtless  mingle.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Doddridge  declares,  that  he  was  ^'  assured 
by  a  gentleman  of  vmdoubted  credit,  that  when  he  was 
in  pursuit  of  all  the  gayest  sensualities  of  life,  and  was 
reckoned  one  of  the  happiest  of  mankind,  when  he 
has  seen  a  dog  come  into  the  room  where  he  was 
among  his  merry  companions,  he  has  groaned  in- 
w^ardly,  and  said,  '  0/?,  that  I  had  been  that  dog  ."  " 

Thus  we  see  that  the  Spirit  of  God  will  not  let  the 
sinner  alone.  Conscience  Avill  not  let  him  alone,  till 
it  is  seared  with  a  red-hot  iron.  This  has  added  im- 
measureably  to  your  guilt,  that  your  sins  have  been 
committed  while  conscience  has  remonstrated,  and 
the  Spirit  of  God  warned  and  striven  with  you. 


134  THE   SINFULNESS   OF 

(6.)  And  finally,  I  remark,  as  the  last  and  highest 
aggravation,  your  sins  have  been  committed  in  view 
of  the  greatest  love  and  mercy  that  were  ever  exhibit- 
ed to  created  beings.  Oh,  unconverted  hearer,  have 
you  not  been  nourished  and  brought  up  by  the  ever- 
lasting God  as  His  child  ?  and  yet  you  have  rebelled 
against  Him  !  Did  He  not  give  you  being  1  did  he 
not  watch  over  your  infant  days,  and  protect  you  ten 
thousand  times,  when  all  j'Our  parents'  care  would 
have  been  unavailing?  Has  he  not  given  you  ra- 
tional powers?  Has  he  not  supplied  your  wants 
every  day  with  unwearied  liberality?  Has  He  not 
heard  your  cr}^  when  trouble  came  upon  you  ?  Has 
He  not  often  rescued  3^ou  from  ruin,  when  it  seemed 
just  read}^  to  swallow  you  up  ?  Has  He  not  raised 
you  oftentimes  from  a  sick  bed  ?  Look  around  upon 
all  your  possessions,  and  say  Avhat  one  thing  have  you 
in  the  world  which  his  goodness  did  not  give  you? 

Added  to  all  the  other  gifts  which  the  Most  High 
has  bestowed  upon  5^ou,  is  the  gift  of  his  Son.  The 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  nailed  to  the  accursed  tree  for 
you.  For  you  he  groaned,  and  bled,  and  died.  You 
have  been  offered  a  free,  and  full,  and  everlasting 
pardon.  The  gates  of  heaven  have  been  opened, 
and  )^du  have  been  invited  and  entreated  to  enter.  In 
view  of  all  this  mercy,  and  kindness,  and  love,  and 
goodness,  you  have  gone  on  and  added  sin  to  sin. 
You  have  persisted  in  a  course  of  impenitence,  in  view 
of  Christ  dying  for  you  on  the  cross ;  and  while  ten 
thousand  voices  were  sounding  in  your  ear,  urging 
you  to  return  and  live.  You  have  contemned  all 
these,  rejected  all  the  proffers  of  salvation,  trodden 
under  foot  the  blood  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  done  de- 


AN    UNCONVERTED    STATE.  135 

spite  to  the  Spirit  of  Grace.     '^  How,  then,  canst  thou 
say,  lam  not  polluted?'''' 

Now  I  entreat  3^011,  look  calmly  at  this  whole  sub- 
ject. You  see  that  the  law  of  God  is  good,  that  it  is 
the  rule  of  inlinite  rectitude,  that  your  actions,  and 
words,  and  thoughts,  are  to  be  measured  by  it.  Bring 
up  your  conduct  to  this  liol}^  standard.  Let  all  that 
you  have  ever  done  be  tried  by  it.  Do  you  see  no 
transgressions  ?  or  rather,  do  you  not  see  more  in 
number  than  the  sands  on  the  sea  shore?  Apply  the 
divine  law  to  the  secret  Avorkings  of  your  mind.  Do 
you  see  no  sins  that  have  been  shut  up  in  your  heart, 
and  are  known  only  to  God  and  yourself  1  or  rather, 
do  you  not  see  there  more  in  number  than  all  the 
multitudinous  waves  of  the  ocean  ?  These  have  all 
been  committed  against  Almighty  God,  and  are  re- 
garded by  Him  as  so  many  distinct  acts  of  rebellion. 
Now,  unconverted  hearer,  with  these  facts  before  you, 
will  you  presume  to  talk  of  your  innocence'?  With 
these  facts  before  you,  do  you  question  whether  it 
would  be  right  for  God  to  cast  you  into  bottomless 
perdition  ?  whether,  after  all,  you  must  be  converted, 
in  order  to  be  saved  ?  When  you  have  never  once 
loved  God  as  you  ought,  never  once  worshipped  Him 
as  He  requires,  never  once  truly  adored  the  infinite 
King  of  heaven  and  earth  ;  when  you  have  slighted 
all  your  life  long  the  mercy  of  God,  and  valued  it  no 
more  than  the  dirt  under  j^our  feet,  but  have  taken 
encouragement  from  the  thought  of  God's  mercy,  to 
go  on  and  sin  more  and  more  ;  when  you  have  done 
nothing  but  sin  all  your  days,  and  your  heart  full  of 
opposition  to  Jehovah  has  arisen  a  thousand  times  in 
rebellion  against  Him,  and  never  once  cordially  sub- 


136  THE    SINFULNESS    OF 

mitted  to  Him  ;  yes,  when  you,  a  poor  worm,  a  pot- 
sherd, a  broken  piece  of  an  earthen  vessel,  have  dared 
to  find  fault  with  God,  and  question  his  justice — can 
you  talk  of  your  innocence  ?  After  all  this,  can  you 
talk  of  its  being  hard,  if  God  should  cast  you  off  for 
ever  ?  Do  you  not  see  that  you  lie  wholly  at  His 
mercy  1  that  He  might  let  you  go  down  to  the  pit  and 
all  heaven  would  say,  it  was  just  ? 

My  dear  friend,  look  at  your  sins,  and  at  all  the 
aggravations  that  attend  them  !  Look  at  your  wicked 
heart — how  full  of  vile  and  abominable  passions,  and 
so  hard  that  it  cannot  be  touched  or  moved  by  all  the 
love  and  sufferings  of  Christ  !^  Sinner!  oh,  sinner! 
'^  how  canst  thou  say,  I  am  not  polluted  V  Dost  thou 
feel  no  conviction  fastening  on  thy  soul  %  Thou  hast 
violated  God's  known  law — thou  hast  despised  and 
abused  His  numberless  mercies — thou  hast  refused  to 
listen  to  conscience — thou  hast  resisted  and  grieved 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  art  still  cherishing  opposition  to 
the  everlasting  Jehovah,  and  does  no  conviction  of 
•sin  cleave  to  thy  soul  ?  Dost  thou  not  yet  see  that 
thou  art  polluted  %  Be  assured  of  this,  God  will  con- 
vict you. 

"  Ghostly  death  will  quickly  come, 

And  drag  you  to  his  bar, 
There  to  hear  your  awful  doom. 

Will  fill  you  with  despair  ! 
All  your  sins  will  round  you  crowd, 

You  shall  mark  their  crimson  dye  ; 
Each  for  vengeance  crying  loud. 

And  what  can  you  reply  ? 
Though  your  heart  were  made  of  steel. 

Your  forehead  lined  with  brass, 
God,  at  length,  will  make  you  feel : 

He  will  not  let  you  pass." 


AN    UNCONVERTED    STATE.  137 

Unconverted  hearer,  I  have  no  doubt  there  are 
thousands  now  in  perdition,  whose  guilt  never  equal- 
led thine ;  and  it  is  the  greatest  of  all  wontlcrs  that 
thou  art  here  this  evening  listening  to  the  voice  of 
mercy,  and  that  God  is  still  on  the  throne  of  mercy, 
waiting  to  be  gracious  to  thee.  Consider,  I  entreat 
you,  whether  you  are  willing  to  live  any  longer  in 
your  present  state,  or  rather,  shall  I  not  say,  consider 
whether  you  are  willing  to  die  in  your  present  state  1 
Oh,  may  the  dreadful  God  of  heaven  keep  you  out  of 
perdition  till  you  have  heard  the  truth  a  little  longer ! 
Do  not  forget,  however,  that  you  lie  entirely  at  His 
mercy.  If  you  die  as  you  now  are,  heaven  must 
change  its  inhabitants,  or  you  can  never  be  admitted 
there. 


DISCOURSE     VII. 

THE  CERTAINTY  OF  THE  UNCONVERTED  SINNER's  DEATH, 
AND  THE  ENTIRE   JUSTICE  OF  SUCH  A  DOOM. 

"The  wages  of  sin  is  death." — Rom.  vi.  23. 

There  are  three  things  which  all  unconverted  men 
are  disposed  to  call  in  question.  Thejii'st  is,  their 
exceeding  sinfulness.  They  are  willing  to  admit  that 
they  fall  short  of  their  duty  in  some  things,  but  they 
cannot  see  how  they  are  great  sinners. 

In  the  two  preceding  discourses,  it  has  been  at- 
tempted to  prove  this  fact — to  show  that  every  uncon- 
verted man  in  the  world  is  awfully  guilty  before  God, 
polluted  in  every  part,  and  lying  under  the  just  dis- 
pleasure of  Heaven.  In  illustrating  this  point,  we 
charged  no  more  sin  upon  unconverted  men,  than  the 
Bible  lays  at  their  door ;  no  more  than  they  will  find 
pressing  upon  their  souls,  when  summoned  to  stand 
at  the  bar  of  Christ. 

The  second  thing  to  which  we  adverted,  and  which 
unconverted  men  are  disposed  to  call  in  question,  is, 
the  certainty  that  sin  loill  he  pimished  with  everlasting 
death.  This  is  one  of  the  positions  that  we  shall  at- 
tempt to  establish  this  evening  :  "  The  wages  of  sin  is 
death,' ^ 


CERTAINTY  OF  THE  UNCONVERTED  SINNER's  DEATH.    139 

The  third  thing  referred  to,  which  unconverted 
men  are  disposed  to  call  in  question,  is,  the  justice  of 
God  in  punishing  the  transgressors  of  His  laws  with 
endless  death. 

When  the  claims  of  the  divine  law  are  pressed  upon 
impenitent  men ;  when  that  law  is  held  up  as  a  mirror 
before  them,  in  which  they  are  forced  to  see  their  guilt, 
and  by  a  view  of  their  transgressions  they  are  reminded 
of  the  awful  penalties  annexed  to  the  violated  law  : 
when  they  see  that  eternal  death  is  the  certain  portion 
of  the  sinner,  they  immediately  begin  to  try  to  excuse 
themselves.  They  try  to  cast  the  blame  of  their  con- 
duct upon  another  ;  and,  if  they  cannot  succeed  in  this, 
instead  of  humbling  themselves  at  the  feet  of  Jehovah, 
they  do  not  hesitate  to  accuse  him  of  injustice  in  mak- 
ing such  strict  laws,  and  in  threatening  to  execute 
them  with  such  severity.  Hence  another  position 
that  we  shall  attempt  to  illustrate,  this  evening,  will 
be,  the  entire  justice  of  God  in  condemning  the  un- 
converted and  finally  impenitent  sinner  to  the  certain 
and  never  ending  torments  of  perdition.  These  are 
awful  themes  on  which  to  speak,  but  they  are  topics 
that  must  be  investigated — truths  that  must  be  looked 
at,  if  the  sinner  is  driven  from  every  false  refuge,  to 
Christ.  May  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God,  while  we 
speak,  shed  his  illumination  over  our  minds,  and  en- 
able us  to  view  these  things  as  we  shall  when  the 
light  of  eternity  has  fully  revealed  them  ! 

The  whole  truth  to  be  illustrated  can  be  stated  in  a 
very  few  words.  God  will  punish  sin  with  everlast- 
ing death,  and  he  will  justly  do  so.  The  certainty 
aiud  justice  of  the  endless  punishment  of  unconverted 


140  CERTAINTY  OF  THE 

sinners  are  the  points  upon  which  we  are  to  speak. 
^'  The  Avages  of  sin  is  death." 

Before  I  proceed  to  this  illustration,  may  I  be  per- 
mitted to  appeal  to  every  unconverted  man  in  this 
house,  and  ask  him  if,  in  sober  and  honest  truth,  he 
is  not  convinced  in  his  own  mind,  that  he  is  a  sinner 
in  the  sight  of  a  holy  God.  Can  you,  my  dear  friend, 
stand  up  in  the  presence  of  the  searcher  of  hearts,  and 
say — ""  I  am  not  polluted — I  have  a  conscience  void  of 
offence  towards  God  and  towards  man."  Ah,  look 
again.  In  view  of  the  high,  and  strict,  and  unbending 
requirements  of  God's  holy  law,  compared  with  your 
past  conduct,  and  the  present  state  of  your  heart,  do 
you  see  no  leprous  spots  of  sin  on  your  soul  ?  Rather 
do  you  not  see,  that  ''  from  the  sole  of  your  foot  even 
unto  the  head  there  is  no  soundness  in  you,  but 
wounds  and  bruises  and  putrifying  sores."  Do  you 
see,  when  you  come  to  look  down  into  the  depths  of 
your  heart,  and  ascertain  the  motives  that  have  ani- 
mated and  governed  you,  that  your  whole  life  has 
been  but  one  continued  course  of  rebellion  against  Je- 
hovah ;  that  nothing  has  been  right  in  its  principle 
and  end,  that  your  entire  nature  is  disordered,  that  all 
your  thoughts,  and  desires,  and  affections,  and  pur- 
suits, have  been  alienated  from  God. 

Just  for  one  moment  look  at  the  law  of  God  :  see 
what  it  requires,  and  consider  how  you  have  acted. 
It  requires  you  to  love  the  Author  of  your  being  su- 
premely, with  sinless  and  seraphic  affection !  Have 
you  ever  loved  him  so?  Have  you  not  acted  as 
though  you  did  not  love  him  at  all ;  as  though  you 
hated  him,  and  were  determined  to  tempt  him  to  the 
uttermost,  and  to  weary  out  his  patience  1     Consider 


141 

your  actions  :  have  not  many  of  them — have  not  all 
of  them  been  stained  with  sin  ?  Consider  your  words : 
have  not  many  things  gone  out  of  your  lips,  that  were 
offensive  to  God — do  you  remember  that  God  will 
bring  every  idle,  as  well  as  every  untrue,  unkind, 
unchaste  and  profane  word  into  judgment'?  Con- 
sider the  state  of  your  heart  and  affections.  Do  you 
remember  that  that  world  within  is  to  be  laid  open, 
and  that  God's  most  righteous  law  is  to  be  applied  to 
every  secret  desire,  and  thought,  and  purpose  of  your 
heart  1  Oh,  that  wicked  heart,  what  streams  of  ini- 
quity have  floAved  from  it,  and  what  an  inexhausted 
fountain  there  is  still  there  of  iniquity  and  ojDposition 
to  God !  In  view  of  all  these  facts,  do  you  still  hesitate 
to  concede  that  you  are  a  sinner  ?  Have  you  never 
broken  Jehovah's  law  ?  When  you  loved  God  the 
most,  if  you  have  even  loved  him  at  all,  did  your  love 
rise  to  the  full  measure  which  the  divine  precept  de- 
mands, with  all  the  heart  and  soul  and  strength — 
supremely  ?  If  not,  your  best  moment  was  a  moment 
of  guilt ;  you  have  never  come  up  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  divine  law  in  a  single  act ;  you  have 
done  nothing  but  break  the  law  all  your  days  ;  you 
are  then,  indeed,  a  sinnei  in  the  sight  of  God.  You 
cannot  disclaim  this  character.  You  are  infinitely  in- 
terested, then,  in  the  subject  that  is  to  be  discussed 
this  evening — the  consequence  of  sin,  which  our  text 
declares  to  be  death.     ''  The  ivages  of  sin  is  deathJ^ 

The  transgressor  of  God's  law  will  be  punished 
with  everlasting  death.  This  he  deserves.  Perhaps 
you  are  not  convinced  of  this.  Perhaps,  though  you 
cannot  but  admit  that  you  are  a  sinner  in  the  sight  of 
God,  you  do  not  feel  that  you  are  very  greatly  to 


142  CERTAINTY  OF   THE 

blame.  Perhaps  you  are  disposed  to  offer  many- 
excuses,  and  are  ready  to  attempt  to  palliate  your  con- 
duct, and  to  regard  your  violations  of  the  divine  law, 
and  your  exposure  to  its  awful  penalty,  rather  as 
your  misfortune  than  as  your  crime.  It  will  be  our 
object  to  disabuse  you  of  this  error,  and  to  show  that 
God's  justice  will  be  entirely  vindicated,  in  pouring- 
out  upon  you  '^ wrath  unto  the  uttermost."  "The 
wages  of  sin  is  death.^^ 

1.  The  certainty  of  the  endless  punishment  of  the 
unconverted,  and  finally  impenitent.  There  is  in  the 
bosom  of  every  human  creature  a  consciousness, 
and  deep-rooted  conviction,  that  he  is  an  accountable 
being,  and  that  he  cannot  sin  without  incurring  the 
awful  displeasure  of  Almighty  God :  and  that  displea- 
sure once  incurred,  no  man  can  tell  how  it  is  ever  to  be 
turned  away.  Whatever  men  may  say,  they  cannot 
rid  themselves  of  the  belief,  that  tliere  is  a  God  above, 
that  he  is  looking  down  upon  all  their  co7iduct,  and  that 
he  will  one  day  call  them  to  an  account  for  the  deeds  done 
in  the  body. 

Among  the  most  evident  and  easily  demonstrable 
propositions  that  can  be  presented  to  the  human  mind, 
are  the  following — that  this  world  had  a  Creator — that 
that  Creator  still  lives,  and  will  live  for  ever — that  he 
governs  the  world  and  beings  whom  he  created — that 
we,  therefore,  are  living  under  his  government— that 
this  government  is  a  moral  government,  since  we  are 
creatures  possessing  a  rational  and  moral  nature,  and 
he  governs  things  according  to  their  nature.  Every 
government,  however,  must  have  laws  to  regulate  the 
conduct  of  those  who  are  subject  to  its  control.     The 


143 

divine  government  has  laws.  Those  laws  can  never 
be  set  aside,  for  they  are  founded  in  the  nature  of  God. 
They  are  unalterable  as  the  character  of  Jehovah 
himself.  They  are  lioly  and  just  and  good,  and  can 
never  abate  any  of  their  requirements. 

Now  the  certainty  of  the  endless  punishment  of  the 
sinner,  who  is  not  converted,  and  sav^ed  by  grace,  re- 
sults from  the  immutable  character  of  God's  govern- 
ment and  the  unalterable  nature  of  his  laws. 

1.  The  first  remark  that  I  would  offer  by  way  of 
illustrating  this  point,  is,  that  the  divine  law  is  invari- 
ably enforced  by  the  sanction  of  penalties.  "  The 
wages  of  sin  is  death.^^ 

The  very  idea  of  a  law  without  a  penalty  is  in  itself 
absurd.  No  legislative  enactments  would  be  of  any 
avail,  were  there  not  some  provision  made  for  en- 
forcing them.  Should  a  law  be  passed  forbidding  any 
crime,  whether  it  were  gambling,  theft,  highway  rob- 
bery, or  murder,  it  would  not  restrain  from  the  com- 
mission of  that  crime  in  any  degree,  unless  the  law 
had  some  penal  sanction.  For  the  legislature  to  say, 
''  Thou  shalt  not  Jdll,^-  and  there  leave  the  matter, 
would  not  restrain  the  murderer  from  his  bloody  pur- 
pose. There  must  be  held  up  to  his  view  some  ter- 
rible punishment,  as  the  necessary  consequent  of  the 
breach  of  that  law,  before  the  law  would  have  any 
force.  Hence,  human  legislatures  never  enact  a  law 
which  is  not  enforced  by  a  penalty.  And  can  we 
suppose  that  God  is  less  wise  than  man  1  Will  he 
take  less  care  to  have  his  laws  obeyed  than  human 
legislatures.  Open  the  statute  book  of  the  Almighty, 
and  you  will  see  that  the  divine  law  is  everywhere 
enforced  by  high  and  awful  sanctions.     That  law 


144  CERTAINTY  OF    THE 

cannot  be  broken  with  impunit}^  Of  this,  all  who 
have  any  correct  knowledge  of  the  divine  law,  seem 
fully  conscious.  There  is  no  man  that  in  his  heart 
thinks  it  safe  to  trample  on  the  law  of  God.  Every 
one  who  breaks  that  law,  knows  that  he  is  condemn- 
ed, and  that  he  has  drawn  upon  him  the  dreadful 
displeasure  of  the  omnipotent  One.  The  violated  law 
speaks  forth  its  thunders  to  the  conscience,  and  con- 
science gives  back  the  echo  through  all  the  recesses 
of  the  soul,  with  deep  and  startling  tone.  Every  un- 
converted man,  whose  conscience  is  not  seared  as  with 
allot  iron,  knows,  that  God's  law  has  a  penalty  an- 
nexed to  it,  and  that  he  stands  exposed  to  that  penalty 
every  moment. 

2.  I  remark.  Secondly,  that  the  penalty  annexed  to 
the  divine  law,  as  a  sanction  to  enforce  its  obedience, 
is  most  aioful  and  terrific.  This  point  will  be  made 
out  by  a  very  few  references  to  Scripture. 

The  first  text  which  I  will  adduce  is  this  :  ''  The 
soul  that  siimeth,  it  shall  die.^''  This  death,  whatever 
it  be,  is  spoken  of  as  the  penalty  of  the  law,  or  the 
consequence  of  violating  the  law ;  for  sin  is  the 
transgression  of  the  law. 

''  The  soul  that  simieth,  it  shall  die.^''  What  is  this 
death  ?  It  is  not  natural,  or  physical  death.  None 
are  exempt  from  this.  It  is  appointed  unto  all  men 
once  to  die.  They  who  embrace  by  faith,  Christ  as 
their  Saviour,  and  are  thus  shielded  from  the  penalty 
of  the  violated  law,  are  nevertheless  still  subject  to 
mortality,  and  are  as  sure  of  going  down  to  the  grave, 
as  the  most  obdurate  and  rebellious  sinner.  This  pas- 
sage, therefore,  does  not  refer  to  the  death  of  the  body 
— neither  does  it  refer  to  spiritual  death.     It  is  spoken 


UNCONVERTED    SINNER'S    DEATH.  145 

of  as  a  penalty,  and  therefore  is  precisely  the  same 
kind  of  death,  of  which  the  text  speaks — ''  The  wages 
of  sin  is  death."^^  Wages  are  something  which  are 
due  after  the  work  is  done.  Hence  the  recompense 
to  the  wicked  is  everywhere  in  the  word  of  God  re- 
presented as  something  which  is  rendered  after  death. 
'^  It  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die,  but  after  this 
the  judgment."  '^  Fear  him,  which  afte?'  he  hath 
killed,  hath  power  to  cast  into  hell."  ^' When  a 
righteous  man  turneth  away  from  his  righteousness, 
and  committeth  iniquity  and  dieth  in  them,  for  the  ini- 
quity he  hath  done  shall  he  die."  Hence  it  is  ex- 
pressly said,  that  the  punishment  for  sin  is  death,  and 
yet  that  this  is  to  take  place  after  natural  death,  or 
the  death  of  the  body.  Having  continued  to  trans- 
gress, and  at  last  died  without  repentance — then,  as 
the  penalty  due  to  his  sins,  he  is  to  die.  Though 
the  sinner  is  condemned  already,  the  sentence  does 
not  take  effect  till  he  steps  into  the  invisible  world. 
Hence,  while  he  goes  on  sinning,  the  burden  of  wrath, 
which  will  one  day  press  him  down,  is  constantly  ac- 
cumulating. ^'He  is  treasuring  up  unto  himself 
wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath,  and  the  revelation  of 
the  righteous  judgment  of  God."  And  because  the 
full  wages  of  sin  are  not  received  until  the  soul  is 
summoned  into  the  presence  of  God,  the  infliction  of 
the  penalty  of  the  divine  law  is  called  "the  second 
death.'' 

This  arrangement  brings  us  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
death  spoken  of  in  the  passage  adduced,  and  in  the 
text,  is  not  spiritual  death.  For  spiritual  death  is 
something  which  follows  immediately  the  commission 
of  sin.  It  is  the  state  in  which  all  human  creatures 
7 


146  CERTAINTY  OF  THE 

are  found — a  state  of  sinfulness.  The  text  would 
be  shorn  of  all  force  and  meaning  by  such  an  exposi- 
tion. ''  The  wages  of  sin  is  a  state  of  sinfulness." 
This  would  be  mere  unmeaning  verbiage.  The  text 
undertakes  to  describe  the  final,  not  the  immediate 
consequence  of  breaking  the  law  of  God.  The  Apos- 
tle, having  adverted  to  a  sinful  life,  inquires  what 
was  its  fruit,  and  then  immediately  thus  responds  to 
his  own  question  :  "  The  end  of  those  things  is  death. 
But  now  being  made  free  from  sin,  and  become  ser- 
vants to  God,  ye  have  your  fruit  unto  holiness,  and 
the  end  everlasting  life.  For  the  wages  of  sin  is  death, 
but  the  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord." 

The  argument  of  the  Apostle  and  the  whole  context, 
therefore,  show  that  the  death  here  spoken  of  is  not  the 
death  of  the  body,  nor  spiritual  death ^  but  the  infliction 
of  the  Divine  penalty — a  death  which  involves  the 
happiness  and  powers  of  the  soul.  As  natural  death 
pierces  the  body  with  anguish,  and  inflicts  pangs  of 
unutterable  distress,  the  Scriptures  employ  this  image 
to  convey  to  us  an  idea  of  the  awful  misery  that  will 
ultimately  be  felt  by  the  unpardoned  and  unsaved 
violator  of  God's  laAv.  His  agonized  soul  will  feel, 
through  all  its  faculties,  anguish  and  pains  indescriba- 
ble, and  dreadful  as  these  dying  agonies. 

The  Scriptures  employ  the  metaphor  of  fire  to  con- 
vey the  same  idea.  As  the  body,  when  stretched  upon 
burning  coals,  feels  the  most  tremendous  and  excru- 
ciating pains,  so  will  pains  far  more  dreadful  than 
these  seize  upon  the  soul  when  it  begins  to  feel  poured 
out  upon  it  the  penalty  of  God's  broken  law.  The 
sentence  is,  "  Depart  from  me  into  everlasting  Fire,^^ 


UNCONVERTED    SINNER's    DEATH.  147 

Again  :  This  penalty  is  described  in  the  sacred 
Scriptures  as  the  curse  and  icrath  of  God.  ''  Cursed  is 
every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things  which  are 
written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them."  "  The 
wrath  of  God  is  revealed  from  Heaven  against  all  un- 
godliness and  unrighteousness  of  men."  "  He  that 
believeth  not  the  Son,  shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath 
of  God  abideth  on  him."  Oh,  who  can  live  under  the 
curse  and  wrath  of  an  infinite  God  ]  Is  not  the  penalty 
annexed  to  the  divine  law,  as  a  sanction  to  enforce  its 
obedience,  most  awful  and  terrific  1  This  penalty  com- 
prises all  that  is  fearful  in  death,  dreadful  in  the  curse 
and  wrath  of  God,  terrible  in  tribulation  and  anguish, 
or  tremendous  in  the  darkness  and  despair  and  deep 
danmation  of  Hell  !  This  penalty,  and  all  it  compris- 
es, hangs  over  Qxexy  unconverted  hearer  in  this  house, 
and  there  is  nothing  that  for  a  single  moment  prevents 
its  falling,  with  its  blighting,  desolating  weight,  but 
the  hand  of  God's  mercy.  It  must  soon  fall,  and  then 
the  sinner  is  lost  for  ever. 

3.  This  leads  me  to  remark.  Thirdly^  that  the  penalty 
annexed  to  the  divine  law,  as  a  sanction  to  enforce  its 
obedience,  is,  ^'  Eternal  death  /" 

It  has  been  previously  remarked,  that  this  penalty 
is  not  inflicted  upon  the  soul  till  the  body  has  sunk 
beneath  the  withering  stroke  of  mortality.  The  wages 
of  sin  is  death.  This  death  is  eternal.  The  fires  into 
which  the  lost  soul  plunges,  will  burn  on  for  ever. 
The  punishment  into  which  the  wicked  shall  go  away 
is  everlasting  punishment. 

The  following  testimony  of  Scripture  places  this 
awful  fact  beyond  a  doubt :  ^'  The  wicked  shall  be 
turned  into  hell,"  ''  Into  the  fire  that  never  shall  be 


148  CERTAINTY  OF   THE 

quenched — where  the  worm  dietli  not,  and  the  fire  is 
not  quenched."  At  the  end  of  the  world,  Christ  hav- 
ing separated  the  wicked  from  the  righteous,  will  say 
to  them,  ''  Depart,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  firey 
The  finally  impenitent  shall  be  cast  into  a  pit,  "  the 
smoke  of  whose  torment  ascendeth  up  for  ever  and 
ever.^ 

In  the  last  day,  "  The  Lord  Jesus  will  be  revealed 
from  heaven  in  flaming  fire  taking  vengeance  on  them 
that  know  not  God,  and  obey  not  the  Gospel  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  shall  be  punished  with  ever- 
lasting destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  and 
the  glory  of  his  power."  When  the  judgment  scene 
closes,  all  that  have  not  an  interest  in  Christ,  ''  Shall 
go  aivay  into  everlasting  punishment.  "^^  All  this  figura- 
tive language  is  employed  to  describe  the  penalty  an- 
nexed to  a  violated  law.  The  supreme  governor  of 
the  universe  is  not  a  capricious  Being,  neither  does  he 
inflict  punishment  in  an  arbitrary  Avay,  or  under  the 
impulses  of  passion.  The  measure  and  the  infliction 
of  the  punishment  are  according  to  a  fixed  and  pre- 
established  rule.  That  rule  is  the  divine  law.  The 
everlasting  punishment  of  the  wicked,  therefore,  is 
just  as  certain  as  the  continuance  of  God's  government 
and  the  perpetuity  of  his  throne.  Just  as  sure  as  God's 
throne  continues,  the  unconverted  and  finally  impeni- 
tent will  sink  down  to  an  eternal  hell !  The  law  has 
only  to  take  its  course,  and  this  is  their  irremediable 
doom.  The  law  must  take  its  course,  and  the  threaten- 
ing of  God  must  be  executed,  upon  all  those  who  re- 
fuse to  accept  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 
There  is  nothing  more  certain  in  all  the  universe  than 


UNCONVERTED    SINNER's    DEATH.  149 

the  everlasting  punishment  of  all  those  who  die  un- 
converted. 

2.  We  are,  Secondly^  to  consider  the  entire  justice 
of  God  in  consigning  the  unconverted  and  finally  im- 
penitent to  this  awful  doom.  Having  proved  the  fact 
from  divine  testimony,  could  we  assign  no  adequate 
reasons  for  the  divine  procedure,  it  would  become  us 
to  bow  in  all  humility  and  reverence  to  this  decision, 
and  say,  "  Just  art  thou,  O  Lord,  in  all  thy  ways,  and 
holy  in  all  thy  works." 

But  our  own  consciences  and  judgments  will  fully 
acquit  God  of  all  injustice  in  the  doom  which  he  has 
determined  for  those  who  have  trampled  his  authority 
and  laws  in  the  dust.  I  am,  therefore,  the  more  dis- 
posed to  look  at  some  of  the  reasons  which  show  the 
entire  justice  of  God  in  the  everlasting  destruction  of 
the  wicked,  from  the  fact  that  converted  men  often 
secretly  flatter  themselves  that  they  shall  be  saved, 
because  it  would  be  unjust  in  God  to  cast  them  off  for 
ever.  This  is  one  of  the  grand  delusions  of  Satan; 
a  species  of  sophistry  that  has  lured  thousands  down 
to  the  pit  of  never-ending  despair. 

There  is  nothing  which  the  great  adversary  so  much 
labors  to  prevent,  as  the  awakening  of  a  sinner  to  a 
sense  of  his  own  sinfulness  in  the  sight  of  God.  When 
the  truth,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  does  break 
in  upon  the  mind — when  conscience  is  summoned  to 
her  office,  and  the  soul  is  constrained  to  look  inward 
upon  herself,  and  take  a  view  of  her  numberless 
sins — then  Satan  endeavours  to  inspire  that  mind  with 
the  belief  that  the  most  of  those  sins  were  unavoida- 
ble, and  therefore  that  it  would  be  unjust  in  God  to 


150  CERTAINTY  OF   THE 

cast  the  sinner  down  to  the  burning  pit  on  account  of 
them.  This  view  of  the  subject  is  very  soothing  and 
grateful  to  the  feelings  of  an  impenitent  sinner,  who  has 
been  made  in  a  slight  degree  sensible  of  his  transgres- 
sions. Many  an  awakened  sinner  has  stopped  here, 
embraced  this  soul-ruining  delusion,  and  gone  down 
to  an  endless  perdition.  Now  the  broad  position  which 
I  take,  is  this,  that  every  sinner  deserves  everlasting 
death,  and  that  in  inflicting  endless  punishment  upon 
him,  God  only  gives  him  his  desert. 

(1.)  This  is  evident  from  the  conviction  of  all  en- 
lightened minds.  The  very  first  work  which  the  Holy 
Spirit  does,  in  operating  savingly  upon  an  unrenewed 
mind,  is  to  fasten  upon  the  heart  and  conscience  this 
conviction.  I  never  knew,  I  never  heard  of  a  con- 
verted person,  who,  when  his  eyes  were  opened  to  the 
light  of  divine  truth,  did  not  feel  that  he  deserved  ever- 
lasting death — did  not  feel  that  it  would  be  perfectly 
right  in  God  to  cast  him  off  for  ever.  Among  all  those 
who  are  truly  converted  to  God,  there  is  an  entire  coin- 
cidence of  sentiment,  a  perfect  uniformity  of  conviction 
on  this  point.  Can  we  suppose  that  the  very  first  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  heart,  is  to  lead  all  who 
are  regenerated  into  an  error  ?  Or  shall  We  not  rather 
conclude  that  that  sentence,  which  under  the  Spirit's 
convincing  and  illuminating  power  we  are  led  to  pro- 
nounce upon  ourselves,  is  in  accordance  with  the  prin- 
ciples of  eternal  rectitude  1  This  is  the  first  considera- 
tion which  I  wish  to  submit :  that  every  truly  convert- 
ed and  enlightened  man  feels  that  it  would  be  per- 
fectly just  in  God  to  cast  him  off  for  ever. 

(2.)  Secondly,  I  remark,  that  the  whole  work  of  hu- 
man redemption  proceeds  upon  the  supposition  that 


UNCONVERTED    SINNER's    DEATH.  151 

man  deserves  endless  punishment.  The  grand  reason 
why  it  was  necessary  for  Christ  to  die,  was,  that  he 
might  bear  the  punishment  that  was  justly  due  to  the 
sinner.  Observe  the  reason  which  St.  Paul  states 
why  God  set  forth  his  son  to  be  a  propitiation.  It  was 
"  to  declare  his  righteousness  for  the  remission  of  sins 
that  are  past,  through  the  forbearance  of  God,  that  he 
might  be  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him  which  believeth 
in  Jesus."  Here  we  are  told  that  the  sinner  so  trul)^ 
deserves  all  the  wrath  that  hangs  over  him,  that  God 
himself  could  not  have  continued  to  be  just,  had  he 
not  poured  out  that  wrath  upon  a  substitute,  upon 
whom  the  sinner's  transgressions  are  laid.  And  all 
that  ransomed  throng  around  the  Eternal's  throne, 
ascribe  the  whole  praise  and  glory  of  their  rescue  to 
the  riches  of  infinite  grace.  There  is  not  a  saint  in 
glory  that  feels  he  has  escaped  endless  death  on  the 
ground  of  his  own  merit  ;  he.  knows  he  has  been 
saved  from  the  pit  by  the  redeeming  mercy  of  Christ. 
This  being  admitted,  nothing  is  m.ore  certain  than  that 
the  sinner  deserves  everlasting  death. 

(3.)  I  remark.  Thirdly,  that  this  is  evident  from 
the  very  nature  of  the  law. 

Sin  is  the  transgression  of  the  law.  We  have  al- 
ready shown  that  the  penalty  annexed  to  the  divine 
law  is  eternal  death.  He  who  breaks  the  law,  there- 
fore, deserves  eternal  death.  We  must  admit  this,  or  de- 
clare that  the  law  of  God  is  not  just ;  which  is  precisely 
equivalent  to  declaring  that  God  himself  is  not  just, 
for  the  law  is  a  transcript  of  the  divine  will  and  mind. 

There  is  no  alternative,  if  the  sinner  is  not  to  blame, 
for  breaking  the  law  of  God  ;  if,  for  every  single  sin  he 
commits,  he  does  not  deserve  the  damnation  of  hell, 


152  CERTAINTY  OF    THE 

then  God's  law  is  not  just  :  the  sinner  is  not  living 
under  the  government  of  a  righteous  Being.  This  is 
the  inevita]3le  conclusion  to  which  you  must  come. 
But  who  will  venture  to  take  this  ground  ?  Do  not  the 
Scrij)tures  declare  that  the  divine  law  is  just,  and  holy, 
and  good ;  and  that  the  sinner  is  utterly  without  excuse? 
Do  they  not  describe  the  sinner  as  a  voluntary  rebel 
against  the  Most  High  ;  and  affirm  that  he  deserves  all 
the  punishment  which  the  violated  law  threatens  to 
inflict  on  him  ?  Do  they  not  distinctly  declare  that 
so  unquestionably  merited  is  that  endless  misery  to 
which  ever}^  transgressor  is  doomed,  that,  should  God 
fail  to  inflict  it,  unless  the  sinner  avails  himself  of  the 
proffered  mercy  in  Christ,  He  would  cease  to  be  a  good, 
and  holy,  and  righteous  Being  ? 

(4.)  Again  :  the  position  that  we  have  laid  down 
in  relation  to  the  desert  of  the  sinner,  is  proved  by  the 
text,  "■  The  wages  of  sin  is  death,"  This  refers,  not 
onl}^  to  the  fact,  but  to  the  equity  of  the  penalty  an- 
nexed to  the  infraction  of  the  divine  law.  ''  Wages^^ 
is  the  pay  or  reward  given  for  labor.  "  Death,^^  end- 
less death,  is  not  merely  the  consequence  which  will 
certainly  follow  sin,  but  the  reward  or  recompense, 
which  is  due  to  a  sinner,  just  as  wages  are  due  to  a 
labourer  when  his  work  is  done.  The  sinner  deserves 
death,  just  as  much  as  the  labourer  deserves  his  pay 
when  he  has  completed  his  day's  work.  He  has  no 
more  reason  to  complain  than  the  labourer  would  have, 
who  agreed  to  work  for  certain  stipulated  wages.  He 
knew  beforehand  w^hat  Vv^ould  be  the  consequence  of 
breaking  the  law.  He  therefore  tramples  on  the  au- 
thority of  God,  knowing  what  the  issue  will  be. 

(5.)    A  view  of  the  sanctions  of  the  divine  law  will 


153 

bring  us  back  to  tbe  same  conclusion — tbat  tbe  sinner 
deserves  eternal  death.  These  sanctions  are  suitable 
and  proper,  whether  we  consider  the  character  of  the 
Being  from  whom  they  emanate^  or  of  the  beings  whom 
they  are  intended  to  injluence. 

They  are  suitable  as  it  respects  the  character 
OF  the  Being  from  whom  they  emanate.  What 
could  be  more  suitable  to  the  character  of  an  infinite 
Being,  than  that  he  should  enforce  the  laws  he  or- 
dains with  sanctions  promising  infinite  good,  and 
threatening  infinite  evil  1.  God  will  live  for  ever,  and 
during  all  His  unending  existence,  obedience  to  His 
laws  will  be  pleasing  to  Him,  and  every  act  of  disobe- 
dience infinitel}^  displeasing.  There  never  will  come 
a  time  when  he  will  cease  to  look  upon  sin  with  utter 
abhorrence.  How  can  He,  therefore,  enforce  His  laws, 
with  motives  that  stop  short  of  eternity  ? 

These  sanctions  are  suitable  and  proper  as  it  respects 
the  beings  whom  they  are  intended  to  influence.  It  is 
suitable  to  the  nature  of  an  intelligent  and  reasoning 
mind  that  it  should  be  governed  by  motives — that  it 
should  be  ruled  by  laws  that  propose  eternal  good  to 
be  gained,  and  eternal  evil  to  be  avoided — that  pro- 
mise immortal  rewards  and  endless  punishment.  Im- 
mortal intelligences  cannot  be  governed  by  any 
lower  means  than  the  hopes  or  fears  of  everlasting 
things.  If  you  wish  to  rule  an  immortal  spirit  by 
motives,  those  motives  must  have  impressed  upon 
them  the  image  and  superscription  of  eternal  things. 
Every  one,  therefore,  must  see  that  the  promise  of  an 
endless  and  inconceivable  glory  is  not  unsuitable  to 
the  wisdom  of  God,  or  to  the  case  of  man.     And  is 


154  CERTAINTY  OF   THE 

there  not  the  same  propriety  in  the  threatening  of  an 
endless  and  unspeakable  misery  1  * 

God  governs  angelic  beings  b)^  the  same  law  that 
he  does  human  creatures.  Some  of  this  order  of  be- 
ings ^'kept  not  their  first  estate."  They  fell.  We 
are  told,  that  they  have  gone  into  everlasting  fire, 
prepared  for  them.  If  it  be  not  unjust  to  punish  them 
for  eve?',  on  what  ground  will  any  man  argue,  that  it 
is  unjust  to  punish  human  transgressors  for  ever  ? 

(6.)  Again  :  If  sin  be  such  a  tremendous  evil,  that  it 
could  not  be  pardoned,  and  the  divine  government 
sustained,  without  the  infinite  sacrifice  on  Calvary — 
if,  in  the  view  of  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth,  it  be  so 
pregnant  with  evil,  as  to  render  it  necessary  that  the 
Son  of  God  should  become  incarnate,  and  suffer  all 
he  did  in  the  flesh,  and  on  the  cross,  for  its  atonement, 
is  it  not  most  manifest  that  he  who  commits  sin  merits 
everlasting  punishment?  Oh,  who  that  listens  to  the 
dying  groans  of  Calvary,  or  looks  at  yonder  blood- 
stained cross,  where  hangs  in  agony  the  bleeding 
Lamb  of  God,  can  ever  question  whether  sin  deserves 
endless  death  ? 

(7.)  Once  more,  I  remark,  that  the  very  fact,  that 
God  has  threatened  to  punish  the  violation  of  his  laAV 
with  eternal  death,  is,  in  itself,  the  highest  proof  that 
the  sinner  deserves  everlasting  punishment.  When 
you  read  in  the  word  of  God,  ''  The  wicked  shall  be 
turned  into  hell,"  '^  They  shall  go  away  into  ever- 
lasting punishment,"  do  you  think  it  safe  to  question 
the  equity  of  this  allotment?  Will  you  call  )^our 
maker  to  the  bar,  and  judge  him  by  the  law  of  your 


*  Baxter's  Call,  p.  32. 


UNCONVERTED    SINNER's    DEATH.  155 

preconceived  opinions'?  Are  you  wiser,  or  better,  or 
more  righteous  than  the  everlasting  Jehovah  ?  Must 
the  God  of  lieaven  come  to  you  to  learn  wisdom? 
Must  infinite  holiness  be  corrected  and  set  right  by  a 
worm  ;  by  a  poor  sinful  creature  that  cannot  keep 
himself  pure  for  a  single  hour?  Where  were  you 
when  the  Almighty  made  his  laws,  that  he  did  not 
call  you  to  his  counsel  ?  Oh,  are  you  not  a  creature 
of  yesterday — one,  whose  breath  is  in  his  nostrils,  and 
entirely  dependent  on  God?  How  rash,  how  pre- 
sumptuous for  such  a  creature  to  undertake  to  pro- 
nounce upon  the  conduct  of  the  infinitely  perfect  God! 
(8.)  And  this  leads  me  to  remark  again,  that  it  is  not 
possible  for  impenitent  and  unconverted  men  to  be 
competent  judges  of  the  desert  of  sin.  The  felon  ac- 
cuses the  law  and  judge  of  cruelty,  when  the  sentence 
is  pronounced  upon  him.  The  immoral,  that  are  cut 
off  from  the  fellowship  and  privileges  of  the  church, 
almost  always  complain  that  great  injustice  has  been 
done  them.  In  cases  like  this,  the  offender  is  too 
partial  to  form  a  right  estimate  of  the  equity  of  the 
sentence  pronounced  against  him.  He  judges  from 
his  feelings,  which  blind  his  reason.  It  is  precisely 
so  with  impenitent  sinners.  They  do  not  look  at  the 
subject  impartially,  and  in  all  its  bearings.  Allow 
me  to  say,  my  dear  hearer,  you  can  never  fully  know 
the  desert  of  sin,  till  you  fully  know  the  evil  of  sin. 
And  you  can  never  fully  know  the  evil  of  sin,  till  you 
fully  know  the  excellency  of  the  soul,  w^hich  sin  de- 
bases and  deforms — till  you  fully  know  the  excellency 
of  holiness,  which  sin  tarnishes  and  obliterates — till 
you  fully  understand  the  reason  and  excellency  of 
the    divine  glory,  which  sin  violates  and  despises. 


156  CERTAINTY  OF   THE 

You  can  never  fully  know  the  evil  of  sin,  till  you 
comprehend  the  infinite  excellence,  and  power,  and 
holiness  of  the  great  and  glorious  God,  against  whom 
it  is  committed. 

(9.)  There  is  still  another  consideration  to  which  I 
wish  to  advert,  to  show  the  entire  justice  of  God,  in 
pouring  endless  punishment  upon  the  finally  impeni- 
tent. A  remedy,  an  antidote  to  the  evils  of  sin,  has 
been  provided.  This  provision  has  been  made  at  an 
immense  expense.  The  ransom  price  by  w^hich  the 
sinner's  soul  has  been  bought  from  the  curse  of  the 
law,  is  the  blood  of  the  incarnate  Son  of  God.  This 
antidote,  this  remedy,  this  deliverance,  is  offered  to 
all.  The  unconverted  refuse  to  accept  it.  They 
choose  to  abide  under  the  law,  and  be  tried  by  its  high 
and  stern  requirements.  How,  then,  can  they  com- 
plain of  the  injustice  of  that  penalty  which  they 
choose  to  meet,  and  endure  iri  their  own  person, 
rather  than  accept  deliverance  from  it  through  the 
blood  of  Christ?  Oh,  how  blind  and  infatuated  un- 
converted men  are,  who  talk  of  the  injustice  of  endless 
punishment  /  Just  consider  how  the  case  stands  with 
you,  unconverted  hearer  !  You  are  the  creature  of 
God.  He  made  you  for  himself.  You  were  under  infi- 
nite obligations  to  love  and  obey  him.  He  gave  you 
all  the  mercies  and  blessings  that  you  have  ever  en- 
joyed. In  return,  he  required  your  obedience  to  a  law 
which  in  itself  was  good,  and  just,  and  holy,  and  which 
had  for  its  object  your  happiness,  and  the  happiness  or 
all  intelligent  beings,  as  well  as  his  own  glory.  This 
law  he  forbids  you  violating,  under  pain  of  eternal 
death.  And  what  have  you  done  ?  Why,  you  have 
most  wilfully  and  wickedly  violated  that  law  times 


UNCONVERTED    SINNER's    DEATH.  157 

without  number.  You  have  not  regarded  the  author- 
ity of  God,  nor  respected  his  law,  nor  cared  for  his 
glory.  You  have  actually  raised  up  your  rebellious 
arm 

"  Against  the  throne  and  monarchy  of  God  1'' 

By  your  sins  you  have  done  all  you  could  to  rob  him 
of  his  glory,  and  to  destroy  the  happiness  of  all  creat- 
ed intelligences ;  and  this,  too,  when  he  told  you,  if 
you  did  it,  your  end  would  be  eternal  death  !  And 
now,  can  you  talk  of  the  injustice  of  God  in  punish- 
ing you  for  ever  7  Mercy  has  offered  to  spread  her 
wings  over  you,  and  shelter  you  from  the  coming 
storm,  but  you  have  spurned  her  away  from  you. 
From  the  condemnation  of  the  law  under  which  you 
were  justly  lying,  the  Son  of  God  offered  to  redeem 
you.  To  accomplish  this  object  he  became  incarnate 
and  suffered  and  died,  and  rose  from  the  dead,  and 
has  gone  up  to  stand  before  the  throne  of  God  to  plead 
for  you.  As  the  result  of  His  mediatorial  work, 
the  Holy  Spirit  has  been  sent  down  to  strive  with 
you,  and  the  offers  of  everlasting  life  have  been  pro- 
claimed in  3^our  hearing.  But  you  have  refused 
those  offers.  You  choose  to  remain  under  the  curse 
of  the  law^,  and  in  a  state  of  rebellion  against  God  ; 
and  can  you  complain,  then,  if  He  pours  that  curse 
upon  you  unto  the  uttermost '?  If  you  will  not  obey 
God — if  you  w^U  not  submit  to  His  authority — if  you 
will  not  accept  of  His  offers  of  pardon,  God  must  send 
you  down  to  perdition,  or  else  abdicate  His  eternal 
throne.  And  has  it  indeed  come  to  this,  that  you  de- 
mand of  the  Most  High,  that  He  should  lay  down  his 
sceptre,  and  give  up  His  empire,  in  order  that  you 
may  live  in  eternal  rebellion,  and  yet  be  spared  an 


158  CERTAINTY  OF   THE 

• 

endless  death  ?  Now  look  at  sin,  and  see  what  a  de- 
mand it  makes,  and  then  tell  me  if  you  do  not  think 
it  deserves  endless  punishment. 

I  cannot  do  this  subject  justice  in  a  single  discourse, 
and  shall,  therefore,  have  to  defer  farther  remarks  on 
this  topic  till  next  Sunday  evening. 

I  cannot  think  of  bringing  this  series  of  discourses 
to  a  conclusion  yet.  You  must  allow  me,  my  uncon- 
verted friend,  to  press  the  truth  still  farther  upon  your 
attention.  I  must  say  to  you,  as  Ruth  did  to  Naomi, 
"  entreat  me  not  to  leave  you,  nor  to  turn  aside  from 
following  after  you."  Were  it  a  subject  of  trifling 
importance,  I  would  not  come  so  repeatedly  on  this 
unwelcome  errand,  but  when  I  reflect  that  your  ever- 
lasting all  is  at  stake,  I  cannot  cease  to  cry  aloud.  I 
cannot  cease  to  lift  up  my  voice,  to  endeavour  to  show 
you  your  transgressions  and  your  sins.  I  appeal  to 
you — ought  I  not  to  be  solicitous  for  you,  when  I  be- 
hold you  treading  on  the  crumbling  edge  of  the  preci- 
pice that  beetles  over  the  deep  and  awful  gulf  of 
death?  This,  unconverted  hearers,  is  your  present 
condition.  As  the  eternal  God  liveth,  before  whom  I 
now  stand,  I  have  not  the  least  hope  of  meeting  one 
of  you  in  heaven,  unless  you  are  converted  !  I  utter- 
ly despair  of  beholding  one  of  you  at  the  right  hand  of 
God,  unless  you  can  be  prevailed  upon  to  turn  from 
the  path  that  you  are  now  travelling,  and  flee  to 
Christ  for  refuge.  Has  not  Christ  himself  said,  "  ex- 
cept ye  be  born  again,  ye  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of 
God?" 

No  man  ever  did — no  man  ever  will,  enter  heaven 
any  other  way.  All  that  innumerable  throng  that 
stand  on  Mount  Zion,  and  sing  the  high  praises  of 


UNCONVERTED    SINNEr's    DEATH.  159 

God,  were  born  again  before  they  took  a  single  step 
towards  that  cek^stial  world,  and  all  who  have  died 
imregenerate,  as  God  is  true,  have  gone  down  to  an 
eternal  hell.  "■  Marvel  not  that  I  say  unto  you,  ye 
must  he  horn  again.^^ 

In  concluding,  then,  I  beg  of  you  to  consider  this 
one  fact, — ''  the  wages  of  sin  is  dcath.^^  The  impeni- 
tent and  unconverted  sinner  will  die  for  ever.  This  is 
as  certain,  as  that  Gnd  is  on  His  throne.  And  you, 
dear  friend,  are  not  you  the  very  person  of  whom  I 
have  been  speaking  1  Have  you  ever  truly  repented 
before  God  ?  You  have  indeed  not  been  idle  in  this 
world.  You  have  been  at  work.  You  have  earned 
wages,  and  you  are  going  on  daily  earning  more  and 
more  ;  but  they  are  the  wages  of  sin — and  do  not  for- 
get that  the  wages  of  sin  is  death — endless  death.  Oh, 
what  wrath  you  are  treasuring  up  for  yourselves ! 
what  awful  death-pangs,  which  will  endure,  not 
simply  for  a  night,  but  for  ever  and  ever  !  Oh,  the 
groans  and  shrieks,  and  gnashing  of  teeth  that  there 
will  be  in  the  pit,  when  the  last  soul  inquires  of  its 
fellow,  how  long  these  agonies  must  endure,  and  re- 
ceives this  reply,  '-'-For  ever— for  ever;^^  and  ten  thou- 
sand voices  are  heard  all  along  the  binning  surge, 
*' These  agonies  must  be  endured  for  ever,  for  ever  !" 
This,  unconverted  hearer,  is  to  be  the  wages  that  thou 
wilt  receive  !  When  thousands  and  millions  of  years 
have  passed  away,  thy  sufferings  will  be  no  nearer  to 
a  close,  than  they  were  in  the  beginning.  By  delay- 
ing thy  repentance  and  refusing  to  serve  God,  thou 
art  going  right  forward  to  plunge  into  these  endless 
torments.  God  himself  declares  it  is  so.  He  calls 
after  thee  and  entreats  thee  to  stop.     He  declares  that 


160    CERTAINTY  OF  THE  UNCONVERTED  SINNER's  DEATH. 

He  has  no  pleasure  in  tliy  death  ;  but  he  solemnly  as- 
sures thee  that  if  thou  turn  not,  thou  wilt  soon  lie 
down  in  everlasting  sorrow — thou  wilt  reap  the  bitter 
fruits  of  thy  disobedience  in  the  unquenchable  fires  of 
hell.  This  is  no  overwrought  picture  of  my  imagina- 
tion :  it  is  the  plain,  sober  testimony  of  the  Bible — 
the  unchangeable  declaration  of  that  God  in  whose 
hands  are  life  and  death.  "  The  wages  of  sin  is 
death." 

Have  you  not  committed  a  great  many  sins  ?  Here 
you  see  what  the  consequence  is  to  be.  Here  is  a 
point  of  observation  where  you  can  stand  and  survey 
the  field  before  you.  From  this  eminence  of  divine 
truth,  5^011  can  see,  if  you  will,  precisely  where  your 
path  will  terminate.  "  The  wages  of  sin  is  death  !" 
If  you  shut  your  eyes  upon  this  truth,  or  try,  by  so- 
phistry, to  reason  it  away,  all  this  will  not  alter  the  fact. 
This  truth  will  meet  you  with  a  sternness  and  reality 
that  you  cannot  gainsay  when  3^ou  come  to  die.  It 
will  meet  j^ou  with  a  fearful  aspect  at  the  judgment 
bar.  You  must  turn  to  God,  or  die  for  ever.  ''  The 
wages  of  sin  is  death.  ^^ 


DISCOURSE     VII. 

OBJECTIONS      TO     THE     ENDLESS     PUNISHMENT     OF     THE 
WICKED    SILENCED. 

"  That  every  mouth  may  be  stopped." — Rom.  iii.  9. 

He  who  stands  near  the  burning  crater  of  Vesuvms, 
or  amid  the  tremendous  glaciers  of  the  Alps,  beholds 
a  display  of  sublimity,  and  of  omnipotent  power,  that 
almost  overwhelms  the  mind,  and  that  melts  down 
every  feeling  into  an  emotion  of  awe  and  profound 
reverence.  So,  unquestionably,  when  God  riseth  up 
to  judge  the  e<irth,  when,  at  his  bidding,  the  fires  of 
perdition  kindle  around  the  ungodly,  every  com- 
plaint, every  objection  will  be  instantly  silenced.  If 
nothing  else,  the  dread  majesty  that  encompasseth  the 
Most  High,  and  that  simple,  awful  word,  '^  depart,'^ 
that  goes  forth  from  his  dread  fiat,  will  stop  the  sinners 
mouth.  But  it  is  not  the  majesty  of  his  throne,  nor 
the  fires  of  perdition,  upon  which  he  relies  to  stop  th6 
mouths  of  sinners.  He  is  willing-  to  argue  the  matter 
w^ith  them,  and  show  them,  from  the  principles  of  eter- 
nal rectitude,  that  they  deserve  endless  death. 

The  Apostle,  in  that  part  of  the  epistle  from  which 
our  text  is  taken,  presents  a  series  of  considerations 
which  show  that  the  divine  law,  when  applied  to  hu- 


162  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

man  conduct,  reveals  the  unquestionable  truth,  that 
every  human  creature  is  a  sinner — is  fearfully  guilty 
before  God,  so  that  no  one  can  urge  a  plea  for  life, 
the  favour  of  God,  or  any  positive  good  on  the  ground 
of  his  own  righteousness.  -  The  law  stops  his  mouth. 
The  Apostle  also  shows  that  the  sinner  can  render  no 
reasonable  excuse  for  his  conduct,  can  urge  no  valid 
objection  against  the  execution  of  the  sentence  of  the 
law,  or  the  infliction  of  the  punishment  it  threatens. 
The  law,  slighted  and  broken  by  the  sinner,  stops  his 
mouth.  He  cannot  say  one  word  against  the  justice 
of  God  in  his  eternal  destruction. 

In  our  last  discourse  we  were  led  to  contemplate 
the  same  truth — the  certainty  and  justice  of  the  end- 
less punishment  of  the  wicked.  We  intimated,  at  the 
close  of  our  discourse,  that  some  further  observations 
might  be  offered  by  way  of  ilhistrating  the  justice  of 
God  in  consigning  all  the  unconverted  and  finally  im- 
penitent to  the  endless  torments  of  perdition.  To 
this  topic  your  attention  will  now  be  directed.  And 
we  hope  and  pray,  that  all  the  idle  objections  which 
men  sometimes  raise  against  this  awful  truth  may  be  so 
scattered  and  chased  away  before  the  broad  light  of 
divine  testimony,  that  every  unconverted  man  in  this 
audience  will  feel  that  his  mouth  is  stopped,  that  he 
has  nothing  to  say  if  God  sends  him  down  eternally 
to  the  pit.  One  thing  is  certain,  if  his  mouth  is  not 
stopped  here,  it  will  be  stopped  in  eternity.  When 
the  unconverted  sinner  stands  at  the  bar  of  Christ,  he 
will  stand  there  mute  and  speechless.  His  mouth 
will  be  stopped  then  :  then,  he  will  not  only  see 
that  he  is  doomed  to  everlasting  death,  but  that  he 
dies   under  the  dreadful  sword  of  unsullied  justice. 


OF    THE    WICKED    SILENCED.  163 

This  subject  is  one  which  is  invested  with  terrible  ma- 
jesty, and  overwhelming  dread.  I  return  to  it  with 
deep  and  solemn  awe.  Were  it  consistent  with  the 
everlasting  safety  of  my  unconverted  friends,  to  draw 
the  curtain,  and  shut  out  of  view  the  drawn,  dread, 
glittering  sword  of  divine  wrath,  which  justice  is 
waving  over  their  heads,  how  readily  would  I  do  so  ! 
How  gladly  would  I  take  my  stand  this  evening  un- 
der the  broad,  bright,  outstretched  snowy  wings  of  the 
angel  of  mercy,  and  speak  to  you  of  the  divine  com- 
passion, and  of  the  infinite  riches  of  free  grace  !  But 
how  is  it  possible  that  men  should  be  willing  to  ac- 
cept of  Christ  as  a  Saviour,  a  deliverer  from  the  desert 
of  a  punishment,  that  they  are  not  sensible  that  they 
have  merited  ?  The  secret  belief  is  cherished  in  al- 
most every  unconverted  heart  that  it  would  not  be  right 
in  God,  to  cast  off  for  ever,  those  who  are  decent  and 
moral  in  their  conduct,  although  they  are  not  truly 
converted.  While  this  belief  is  cherished,  men  will 
never  receive  the  atonement.  For  if  they  do  not  de- 
serve endless  death,  what  need  is  there  of  an  atone- 
ment to  take  away  their  guilt  ? 

If,  then,  you  are  saved,  my  dear  hearers,  you  must 
see  how  certain  it  is  that  when  God  shall  lay  judg- 
ment to  the  line,  and  righteousness  to  the  plummet, 
you  will  be  condemned — how  certain  it  is  the  hail  of 
His  wrath  will  sweep  away  this  refuge  of  lies,  and  the 
waters  of  His  roused  indignation  will  overflow  every 
hiding-place  in  which  you  trust. 

1.  The  first  remark,  then,  that  I  woidd  offer  in  the 
farther  illustration  of  this  sul)ject,  is,  that  it  is  evident 
that  God's  justice  is  entirely  vindicated  in  the  ever- 


164  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

lasting  destruction  of  sinners,  from  the  consideration  of 
their  sinfulness. 

To  illustrate  this  remark,  we  may  consider  either 
the  infinitely  evil  nature  of  all  sin,  or  how  much  sin 
every  transgressor  has  comitted. 

First:  The  infinitely  evil  nature  of  all  sin.  Most  ob- 
viously it  cannot  be  unjust  in  God  to  inflict  upon  the 
sinner  all  the  punishment  that  his  sin  deserves.  The 
very  idea  of  deserving  a  penalty  implies  that  that  pe- 
nalty is  just. 

Another  obvious  principle  is  this,  that  every  crime 
deserves  a  greater  or  less  punishmentj  in  proportion 
as  the  crime  itself  is  greater  or  less.  If  a  fault  de- 
serves punishment,  the  greater  the  fault,  the  greater 
is  the  punishment  it  deserves.  Therefore,  the  severi- 
ty, or  dreadfulness  of  any  punishment  is  no  argument 
against  the  justice  of  it,  provided  there  be  a  pro- 
portion between  the  crime  and  the  punishment. 
Hence,  if  there  be  such  a  thing  as  a  fault  infinitely 
heinous,  it  will  be  entirely  just  to  inflict  upon  him 
who  commits  that  fault  a  punishment  iivfinitely 
dreadful.  A  crime  is  more  or  less  heinous,  according 
as  we  are  under  greater  or  less  obligations  to  the  con- 
trary. This  is  self-evident.  And  hence,  the  crime  of 
hating  another,  is  in  proportion  to  a  man's  obligation 
to  love  that  individual.  It  is  your  duty  to  love  all 
the  individuals  of  your  species.  Should  you  hate  any 
one  of  them,  this  would  be  sinful.  Should  you  hate  a 
man  who  had  injured  you,  and  shown  himself  your 
enemy,  this  would  be  wrong,  for  you  are  commanded 
to  love  your  enemies.  But  it  would  be  still  more  sin- 
ful to  hate  one  who  had  ever  been  kind  to  you,  and 
shown  himself  your  friend,  and  that,  for  the  simple 


OF   THE    WICKED    SILENCED.  165 

reason  that  you  arc  imder  higher  obligations  to  love 
him  than  ypu  are  your  enemy.  Still  more  criminal 
would  it  be  in  you,  to  hate  the  mother  who  bore  you, 
who  watched  with  tender  solicitude  over  your  infant 
years,  and  has  never  grown  weary  in  wearing  herself 
out  to  minister  to  your  happiness.  The  sin  in  this 
case  would  acquire  increased  heinousness,  from  the  in- 
creased obligation  there  rests  upon  every  human  be- 
ing to  love  a  tender  mother.  Now  who  does  not  see 
that  the  crime  of  hating  God  would  be  vastly  greater 
than  that  of  hating  a  parent — nay,  that  it  would  be 
infinitely  great :  for  we  are  under  infinite  obligations 
to  love  God  ?  Our  obligations  to  love  a  being,  are  in 
proportion  to  his  loveliness.  But  God  is  a  being  infi- 
nitely lovely.  He  hath  infinite  excellence  and  beauty. 
We  are  under  infinite  obligations  to  God  on  account  of 
his  beneficence  to  us.  He  created  us.  He  gives  us 
life,  and  breath,  and  all  things.  In  Him  we  live,  and 
move,  and  have  our  being.  He  hath  redeemed  us  by 
the  blood  of  His  son;  we  are,  therefore,  under  infinite 
obligations  to  love  Him.  Every  unconverted  man — 
every  sinner  hates,  dislikes,  is  opposed  to  the  character 
of  God  ;  and  hence  the  Apostle  says,  "  that  the  carnal 
or  unrenewed  mind  is  enmity  against  God."  Again  : 
the  crime  of  despising^  and  casting  contempt  on  another^ 
is  proportionally  more  or  less  heinous  as  a  man  is  under 
greater  or  less  obligations  to  honor  that  individual.  If  a 
soldier  were  to  despise,  and  treat  witli  indignity,  his  fel- 
low soldier,  this  would  be  wrong,  because  we  are  com- 
manded to  "  honor  all  men.''''  But  the  criminality  of 
his  conduct  would  be  increased,  were  he  to  offer  the 
same  treatment  to  an  officer  placed  over  him,  and  for 
the  simple  reason  that  he  is  under  increased  obliga- 


166  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

tions  to  honour  that  officer.  Still  more  criminal  would 
his  conduct  be,  if  he  were  to  cast  contempt  upon  the 
highest  commanding  officer  in  the  regiment  to  which 
he  belongs,  and  that  for  the  reason  just  adverted  to, 
that  he  is  under  still  higher  and  increased  obligation 
to  respect  this  officer. 

Who  does  not  see  that  this  man's  guilt  would  be 
vastly  increased,  were  he  to  despise  and  cast  contempt 
on  God  1  Tlie  guilt  in  one  respect  would  become  infi- 
nite :  for  our  obligation  to  honour  any  being  is  in  pro- 
portion to  the  dignity  and  honourableness  of  that 
being.  But  God  is  a  being  infinitely  honourable.  He 
possesses  infinite  greatness,  majesty  and  glory.  He 
is  infinitely  exalted  above  the  highest  officer,  or  the 
greatest  potentates  of  the  earth,  and  the  highest  angels 
in  heaven — and  we  are  under  infinite  obligations  to 
honor  him.  But  every  unconverted  man — every  sin- 
ner, despises  God,  and  casts  contempt  upon  His  Ma- 
jesty.    This  is  the  very  essence  of  sin. 

Once  more  I  remark  :  The  fault  oi  disoheying  another 
is  greater  or  less  as  a  man  is  under  greater  or  less  ob- 
ligations to  obey  that  individual. 

It  would  be  wrong  to  disobey  an  inferior  magistrate 
— but  the  crime  would  be  greatly  increased  were  we  to 
set  at  defiance  the  supreme  authority  in  the  land  ; 
and  this  increased  criminality  of  our  conduct  would 
be  owing  simply  to  the  increased  obligation  we  are 
under  to  respect  and  obey  the  supreme  authority  of 
the  country.  But  who  does  not  see  that  it  would  be 
infinitely  more  criminal  to  refuse  to  obey  God,  than 
any  earthly  potentate  or  power,  since  we  are  under 
infinitely  higher  obligations  to  respect  his  authority  1 

Our  obligation  to  obey  any  being  is  in  proportion 


OF    THE    WICKED    SILENCED.  167 

to  his  authority  over  us.  GocPs  authority  over  us  is 
infinite.  The  ground  of  his  right  to  our  obedience  is 
infinitely  strong,  for  he  is  infinitely  worthy  to  be 
obeyed  himself,  and  we  have  an  absolute,  universal, 
and  infinite  dependence  upon  him.  But  every  un- 
converted man,  every  impenitent  sinner,  refuses  to  obey 
God,  tramples  on  his  laws,  and  sets  his  authority  at 
defiance. 

Now  it  is  abundantly  obvious  that  every  sin  against 
God  implies  all  the  hatred,  and  contempt,  and  diso- 
bedience which  we  have  been  considering.  Sin, 
therefore,  being  a  violation  of  infinite  obligations,  is  a 
crime  infinitely  heinous,  and  consequently  deserves 
infinite  punishment.  This  conclusion  cannot  be  evad- 
ed. If  God  be  a  Being  of  infinite  perfections,  and 
we  are  under  infinite  obligations  to  him,  then  the  vio- 
lation of  a  single  one  of  those  obligations  deserves 
infinite  punishment.  If  there  be  any  evil  in  sin  against 
God,  there  is  certainly  infinite  evil.  If  unconverted 
men  had  never  committed  but  one  sin,  this,  on  the 
principle  of  justice,  would  shut  them  up  unto  everlast- 
ing condemnation.  When  the  sinner  comes  to  under- 
stand the  immense,  the  immeasurable  guilt  involved 
in  one  sin — in  hating,  despising,  and  disobeying  God, 
his  mouth  will  be  stopped,  and  he  Avill  have  nothing 
to  say  why  he  should  not  go  down  eternally  to  the 
pit.  Thus  we  see,  that  a  view  of  the  infinitely  evil 
nature  of  all  sin,  vindicates  the  justice  of  God  in  the 
everlasting  destruction  of  sinners. 

Second  :  The  same  truth  will  be  established  if  we 
only  consider  how  much  sin  every  transgressor  has  com- 
mitted. On  this  point  there  will  be  less  need  of  en- 
largement, from  the  fact,  that  in  two  previous  discour- 


168  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

ses,  we  have  called  your  attention  to  a  consideration 
of  the  multiplied  transgressions,  the  exceeding  sinful- 
ness, the  desperate  wickedness,  and  the  awful  guilt 
of  every  descendant  of  Adam.  I  will,  therefore,  at 
this  time,  barely  remark,  that  all  unconverted  men  are 
not  only  sinners,  but  great  sinners.  They  have  com- 
mitted, not  simply  one  sin,  but  innumerable  sins. 
They  are  full  of  sin.  Their  guilt  is  like  great  moun- 
tains heaped  one  upon  another,  till  the  pile  is  grown 
up  to  heaven.  They  are  corrupt  in  every  part — in  all 
their  faculties — m  all  the  principles  of  iheir  nature, — 
their  understandings,  and  their  wills,  and  in  all  their 
dispositions  and  affections.  They  are  altogether  sin- 
ful. In  them  are  found  pride,  malignity,  revengeful- 
ness,  hard-heartedness,  obstinacy,  perverseness,  incor- 
rigibleness,  inflexibleness  in  sin,  that  will  not  be  over- 
come by  threatenings  or  promises,  b)^  awakenings  or 
encouragements,  by  judgments  or  mercies — neither  by 
that  which  is  terrific,  nor  that  which  is  winning.  The 
very  blood  of  God  our  Saviour  will  not  win  the  heart  of 
a  wicked  man.  And  when  that  wicked  man  stands  at 
last  at  the  bar  of  Christ,  and  hears  the  sentence  that 
dooms  him  to  everlasting  punishment,  will  not  his 
mouth  be  stopped  ?  When  all  his  sins  rise  up  around 
him  like  dark  mountains,  will  he  have  one  word  to 
say  why  he  should  not  go  away  into  everlasting  fire, 
prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels  ?  No  :  his  mouth 
will  be  s-topped  ! 

2.  A  Second  general  remark  that  I  would  offer  in 
illustration  of  the  subject  under  consideration  relates 
to  our  treatment  of  God.  The  remark  is  this  :  That 
there  can  be  no  injustice  in  God's  treating  men  as  they 


OF    THE    WICKED    SILENCED.  169 

his  dealings  with  men  will  be  suitable  to  their  disposi- 
tion and  practice.  ''  With  the  merciful  man  thou  wilt 
show  thyself  merciful :  With  an  upright  man  thou 
wilt  show  thyself  upright :  With  the  pure  thou  wilt 
show  thyself  pure  :  Atid  with  the  froward  thou  wilt 
show  thyself  froward.''''  If  unconverted  men  are  left 
to  sink  into  the  pit  of  never-ending  wo,  they  will  be 
dealt  with  exactly  according  to  their  own  dealing. 
This  point  I  will  endeavour  to  illustrate  by  several 
specifications : 

1.  Firsts  then,  I  remark,  that  if  God  casts  off  un- 
converted men,  and  leaves  them  eternally  to  perish, 
it  will  be  exactly  agreeable  to  their  treatment  of  him. 
Unconverted  men  do  not  love  God :  they  refuse  to 
comply  with  that  first  and  highest  command  in  his 
Law,  ''  Thou  shall  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
hearty  and  soul,  and  strength. ' '  They  refuse  to  comply 
with  that  high  and  holy  demand  which  Jehovah  makes 
upon  them,  "  My  son,  give  me  thy  heart.^^  They  do 
not  give  their  hearts  to  God,  but  to  the  world. 

When  God,  however,  saves  a  sinner  ;  when  he  brings 
a  poor  lost  soul  home  to  Christ,  forgives  all  his  sins, 
and  makes  him  his  own  child,  there  is  expended  upon 
that  soul  a  love,  the  greatness  of  which  it  will  take  up 
all  eternity  to  express  and  declare.  Now  why,  I  ask, 
should  God  be  obliged  to  express  such  wonderful  love 
to  sinners  who  have  exercised  no  love  to  him  ?  Would 
it  not  be  right,  would  it  not  be  perfectly  just  if  He 
should  treat  them  as  they  treat  him  ?  Impenitent  men 
do  not  care  for  the  happiness,  or  interests,  or  glory,  or 
honour  of  God.  Under  what  obligation,  then,  is  God 
placed,  to  care  for  them? 

2.    Again :   All  impenitent  and  unconverted  men 
8 


170  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

slight  God  ;  and  why  may  not  God  justly  slight  them  1 
Impenitent  men  are  told  that  such  and  such  things 
are  contrary  to  the  will  of  a  holy  God,  and  against  his 
honour,  but  they  care  not  for  that.  God  calls  upon 
tjiem,  and  exhorts  them  to  be  more  tender  of  his 
honour,  but  they  go  on  in  the  same  reckless  way  as  be- 
fore. Now  who  will  pretend  to  say  that  it  would  not 
be  right,  that  it  would  not  be  perfectly  just  in  God 
to  slight  these  sinners  ?  Are  they  more  honourable 
than  He,  that  he  must  be  obliged  to  make  much  of 
them,  how  light  soever  they  make  of  him  or  his  glory. 
3.  Again  :  On  what  principle  can  it  be  shown  that 
God  is  obliged  to  bestow  salvation  on  those  who  are 
utterly  ungrateful  for  the  mercies  he  has  already 
bestowed.  God  has  conferred  upon  impenitent  men 
many  acts  of  kindness,  for  no  one  of  which  he  has  ever 
received  any  suitable  return.  He  has  watched  over 
them,  and  preserved,  and  provided  for  them,  and  fol- 
lowed them  with  mercy  all  their  days,  and  yet  they 
have  continued  sinning  against  Him.  He  has  given 
them  food  and  raiment,  but  they  have  improved  both  in 
the  service  of  sin.  He  has  preserved  them  w^hile  they 
slept,  but  when  they  arose  it  was  to  return  to  their  old 
business  of  sinning.  Notwithstanding  all  this  ingrati- 
tude, God  has  still  continued  his  mercy.  His  kindness, 
however,  has  never  won  their  hearts,  or  brought  them 
to  a  more  grateful  behaviour  towards  Him.  He  has 
greatly  added  to  his  mercy  by  giving  his  son  a  sacri- 
fice for  sin,  and  the  strivings  of  the  Spirit,  whereby  a 
most  precious  opportunity  of  salvation  has  been  put 
into  their  hands.  But  for  all  this  he  has  received  no 
thanks.  As  his  mercies  have  multiplied,  their  ingra- 
titude and  hardness  of  heart  have  increased.     What 


OF    THE    WICKED    SILENCED.  171 

ideas  can  we  have  of  justice,  to  suppose  that  God  is 
obliged  to  keep  such  men  out  of  the  pit — that  he 
is  obhged  to  exalt  them  to  seats  of  blessedness  in 
Heaven  1 

4.  Again  :  Impenitent  and  unconverted  men  volun- 
tarily choose  to  be  with  Satan,  in  his  enmity  and  oppo- 
sition to  God.  It  is  unjust,  then,  in  God  to  leave  them 
with  Satan  in  his  punishment  ?  They  do  not  choose  to 
be  on  God's  side,  but  on  the  side  of  his  great  adver- 
sary. No  matter  how  much  God  calls  and  counsels 
them,  there  they  remain  with  his  foe  !  They  choose 
rather  to  hearken  to  the  foe  of  God,  than  to  God  him- 
self. They  give  themselves  up  to  his  power  and  gov- 
ernment in  opposition  to  God  ! 

May  not  God,  then,  in  perfect  justice  give  them  up 
to  him,  and  leave  them  in  his  power  to  accomplish 
their  ruin?  If  men  will  be  with  God's  enemy,  and 
on  his  side,  why  is  God  obliged  to  redeem  them  out 
of  his  hands  1  Will  not  this  view  of  the  matter  stop 
the  mouth  of  every  unconverted  man  1 

5.  Once  more  I  remark  :  As  unconverted  men 
refuse  to  hear  God's  calls  to  them,  it  will  be  perfectly 
just  if  he  refuses  to  hear  their  calls  to  him  at  the  last. 
How  long  and  loud  does  God  call  upon  impenitent 
sinners  !  They,  however,  have  no  leisure  to  attend 
to  his  calls.  They  have  their  worldly  business  to  mind 
— their  lusts  to  gratify — their  carnal  pleasures  to  en- 
joy. The  ministers  of  Christ  stand  and  plead  with 
them  in  God's  name,  Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  and  spend 
their  strength,  and  wear  out  life  in  doing  so — but  they 
are  not  moved  by  all  this.  They  go  on  still  in  their 
sins.  What,  then,  can  be  more  just  than  that  God  at 
length  should  rise  up  and  say,  ^'  Because  I  have  called 


172  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

and  ye  refused,  I  have  stretched  out  my  hand,  and  no 
man  regarded  ;  but  ye  have  set  at  nought  all  my  coun- 
sel, and  would  none  of  my  reproof :  I  will  also  laugh 
at  your  calamity,  I  will  mock  when  your  fear  cometh  ; 
when  your  fear  cometh  as  desolation,  and  your  destruc- 
tion cometh  as  a  whirlwind  ;  when  distress  and  an- 
guish cometh  upon  you.  Then  shall  they  call  upon 
me,  but  I  will  not  answer  ;  they  shall  seek  me  early, 
but  they  shall  not  find  me." 

6.  Finally,  I  remark,  that  the  justice  of  God  in 
the  everlasting  destruction  of  impenitent  sinners,  ap- 
pears in  the  fact  that  his  mercy,  kindly  offered  to  them, 
has  only  led  them  to  sin  more  and  more. 

Unconverted  men  take  encouragement  to  sin  against 
God,  on  the  very  presumption  that  God  will  show  them 
mercy  when  they  seek  it.  May  he  not  then  justly 
refuse  them  that  mercy  upon  which  they  have  so 
wickedly  presumed  ?  Must  he  lay  himself  open  to  all 
manner  of  affronts,  and  yield  himself  up  to  the  abuses 
of  vile  men,  though  they  disobey,  despise,  and  dis- 
honour Him  as  much  as  they  choose  ;  and  when  they 
have  done,  shall  not  his  mercy  and  pardoning  grace 
be  in  his  own  power,  and  at  his  own  disposal  ?  Must 
he  be  obliged  to  dispense  it  at  their  call  ?  Must  he 
receive  these  bold  and  vile  contemners  of  his  majesty, 
when  it  suits  them  to  ask  it  ?  Must  he  forgive  all 
their  sins,  and  not  only  so,  but  adopt  them  into  his 
family,  and  make  them  his  children,  and  bestow  upon 
them  eternal  glory  ?  Ah,  rely  upon  it,  when  the 
wicked  shall  be  turned  into  hell,  every  mouth  will  be 
stopped.  Not  one  voice  in  the  whole  length  and 
breadth  of  the  universe  will  be  lifted  up  to  say,  it  is 


OF   THE    WICKED    SILENCED.  173 

wrong.  The  lost  /and  condemned  sinner  will  feel 
himself  that  it  is  right  and  infinitely  just. 

Unconverted  hearer,  reflect  for  one  moment  upon 
this  aggravation  of  your  guilt ;  that  you  have  been  a 
worse  enemy  to  God  for  his  being  a  merciful  God. 
Had  you  not  heard  that  he  was  a  merciful  God,  you 
would  not  have  gone  on  in  sin,  and  put  off  your  re- 
pentance up  to  this  time.  Because  God's  mercy  was 
so  great,  you  thought  you  could  repent  at  any  time. 
How  just  it  would  be,  therefore,  if  he  should  now 
refuse  to  extend  mercy  to  you  ! 

One  has  well  remarked  that  ''  There  is  something 
peculiarly  heinous  in  sinning  against  the  mercy  of 
God  more  than  other  attributes.  There  is  such  base 
and  horrid  ingratitude,  in  being  worse  to  God,  because 
he  is  a  Being  of  infinite  goodness  and  grace,  that  it, 
above  all  things,  renders  wickedness  vile  and  detesta- 
ble."* When  this  view  of  the  sinner's  guilt  comes  to 
be  fully  laid  open,  then,  indeed,  every  mouth  will  be 
stopped. 

I  might  here  close  my  remarks  on  the  topic  under 
consideration,  and  turn  to  every  unconverted  man  and 
ask  him  how  he  expects  to  meet  the  account  of  the 
last  day  ?  Oh,  my  hearer,  you  will  not  be  able  to  jus- 
tify yourself  then  !  You  will  not  be  able  to  say  any- 
thing against  the  justice  of  God  in  your  eternal  con- 
demnation then  !  Your  mouth  will  be  stopped.  Per- 
haps, however,  now  you  have  some  objections  to  urge. 
I  will  consider  a  few  of  these. 

1.  The  first  objection  that  I  shall  notice,  is  this : 
That  the  case  of  unconverted  men  after  all  is  not  so 

*  Edwards'  Works,  vol.  iii.  p.  516. 


174  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

desperate  as  has  been  represented,  since  Christ,  in 
some  way  or  other,  has  lowered  the  terms  of  the  divine 
law,  and  brought  down  its  demands  to  a  point  at 
which  they  can  be  reached  by  human  infirmity.  The 
principle  here  assumed  is  utterly  false.  The  law  of 
God  can  no  more  be  altered  than  the  character  of  God 
can,  of  which  it  is  a  transcript.  ''  The  law  is  just^ 
and  can  never  mitigate  of  its  sanctions.  It  is  good, 
and  must  for  ever  continue  so,  whatever  may  become 
of  those  who  are  subject  to  its  dominion." 

We  might  well  ask,  which  of  the  commands  has 
the  Lord  Jesus  lowered  1  He  summed  up  the  whole 
decalogue  in  two  precepts,  "  Thou  shaltlove  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  thy  neighbour  as  thy- 
self:"  which  of  these  two  has  he  set  aside  1  Which 
has  he  dispensed  with  1  Or  what  measure  of  abate- 
ment has  he  made  in  either  of  them  1  If  this  law, 
before  the  coming  of  Christ,  required  too  much,  how 
could  it  have  been  holy,  and  just,  and  good  1  If,  on 
the  contrary,  it  required  only  what  was  necessarily 
due,  then  has  not  Christ,  if  he  has  at  all  lowered  its 
demands,  robbed  God  of  the  obedience  that  was  due 
to  him,  and  thus  become  himself  the  minister  and 
patron  of  sin  1 

We  again  repeat  the  declaration  :  the  divine  law 
cannot  be  changed.  The  everlasting  God  himself, 
while  he  remains  the  unchangeable  holy  God,  cannot 
reduce  the  demands  of  his  own  law.  Such  an  act 
w^ould  divest  him  of  his  own  glory,  and  give  universal 
license  to  violate  with  impunity  the  obligations  which 
every  rational  being  of  necessity  ov/es  to  the  Creator. 
The  law  of  God,  being  a  perfect  transcript  of  his  own 


OF    THE    WICKED    SILENCED.  175 

mind  and  will,  is  as  innimtable  as  himself.*  The 
idea,  therefore,  that  Christ  has  in  any  way  modified 
the  divine  law,  and  accommodated  its  requirements 
to  the  infirmities  of  human  nature,  is  altogether  errone- 
ous. He  has  not  let  down  its  requirements  a  single 
iota.  The  moment  you  became  an  accountable  moral 
being,  that  law  became  the  divinely  appointed  rule 
of  your  conduct.  Its  high  and  holy  precepts  were 
help  up  before  30U,  and  you  were  told  that  eternal 
death  was  the  awful  penalty  threatened  to  the  trans- 
gressor. But  notwithstanding  this  threatening,  you 
became  a  trangressor.  There  is  not  a  divine  com- 
mand that  you  have  not  disobeyed  ten  thousand  times. 
On  you,  therefore,  lies  the  curse  of  God's  violated  law. 
Christ  has  offered  to  remove  that  curse,  but  you  have 
neglected  or  spurned  his  offer. 

God  has  repeatedly  called  after  you,  and  told  you 
if  you  would  repent,  and  return,  and  bow  down  at  the 
foot  of  the  cross,  all  your  guilt  should  be  cancelled. 
But  you  have  treated  with  utter  disregard  this  divine 
assurance,  and  are  here  this  evening  impenitent^  with 
all  your  sins  upon  you,  exposed,  smd  justly  exposed, 
to  the  penalty  of  God's  violated  law  :  which  is  never- 
ending  death.  Look  at  God's  trampled  law,  and  its 
fearful  penalty,  and  surely  your  mouth  will  be  stopped, 

(2.)  Another  objection  to  the  doctrine  we  have  been 
inculcating,  is  the  groundless  assertion  that  men  do, 
and  will  suffer  all  they  deserve  at  the  hand  of  God  for 
their  sins  in  this  world.  We  have  already  shown  in 
a  preceding  discourse,  the  utter  fallacy  and  falsehood 
of  this  assertion  ;  that  the  present  life  is  not  a  period 

*  See  Tyng  on  "  The  Law.'' 


176  OBJECTIONS    TO   THE    PUNISHMENT 

of  retribution,  but  of  probation  ;  that  after  death  comes 
the  judgment,  the  retributions,  the  penalties  of  a  vio- 
lated law.  The  divine  admonition  is, ''  Fear  him  who, 
after  he  hath  killed,  hath  power  to  cast  into  hell." 

There  is  no  sort  of  force  in  the  remark  that  it  would 
be  unjust  to  punish  a  man  through  eternity  for  a  sin 
committed  in  a  moment.  Unconverted  men  sin  all 
their  lives,  and  if  they  were  permitted  to  live  here 
through  eternity,  they  would  continue  to  sin  through 
all  its  unending  ages.  But  independently  of  this,  sin, 
being  a  violation  of  infinite  obligations,  is  infinitely 
heinous,  and  therefore  deserves  infinite  punishment. 
Hence  God  awards  to  it  a  punishment  that  is  infinite 
in  duration,  though  doubtless  varied  in  degree,  accord- 
ing as  it  is  more  or  less  heinous. 

What  legislative  body  ever  thought  of  graduating 
punishment  by  the  length  of  time  occupied  in  the  com- 
mission of  crime !  The  incendiary  who  fires  your 
dwelling,  does  it  in  a  moment  of  time,  and  yet,  if  the 
strong  hand  of  the  law  can  be  laid  upon  him,  the 
mildest  punishment  he  can  expect  is  imprisonment 
for  life.  The  guilt  of  the  crime  is  not  measured  by 
the  length  of  time  it  required  for  its  perpetration,  but 
by  the  nature  of  the  obligations  it  violates,  and  the 
consequences  with  which  it  is  pregnant. 

Again ;  I  remark,  that  there  is  an  essential  and 
radical  error  connected  with  the  idea,  that  the  sinner 
is  punished  all  he  deserves  in  this  life.  If  this  were 
the  fact,  every  transgressor  would  not  only  escape 
hell,  and  go  up  to  heaven ;  but  he  would  do  this  on 
the  ground  of  his  own  desert.  On  this  principle  no 
one  would  be  indebted  at  all  to  the  mercy  of  God,  or 
to  the  blood  of  Christ  for  his  salvation.     The  trans- 


OF    THE    WICKED    SILENCED.  177 

gressor  having  suffered  here  all  he  deserved — having 
borne  in  his  own  person  the  penalty  of  the  violated 
law — having  received  the  entire  wages  of  sin,  would 
have  a  right  to  demand  an  entrance  into  heaven  on 
the  ground  of  justice. 

If  the  sinner  suffers  in  this  life  all  he  deserves  at 
the  hand  of  God  on  account  of  his  sins,  then,  most 
manifestly,  he  has  no  need  of  Christ.  He  is  not  un- 
der the  slightest  obligation  to  the  son  of  God  for  his 
redemption.  He  goes  to  heaven  on  the  ground  of  his 
own  deserts.  If  this  be  admitted,  we  shall  have  to 
admit  that  Christ  came  to  this  world  on  a  very  un- 
necessary errand.  For  had  he  not  come,  all  men 
would  have  been  infallibly  saved,  by  suffering,  as 
they  now  do,  all  they  deserve  in  this  life ! 

Who  is  willing  to  risk  his  soul  on  such  a  belief — a 
belief  that  gives  the  lie  to  the  whole  reccord  of  divine 
truth,  and  writes  contempt  on  all  the  tears  and  toil,  the 
groans,  and  agony,  and  death  of  the  son  of  God  ?  If 
there  be  one  thing  more  plainly  revealed  in  the  Bible 
than  another,  it  is  that  we  are  to  be  saved  solely,  and 
alone,  through  the  blood  of  Christ.  And  yet  this  ob- 
jection which  we  are  combating,  has  for  its  founda- 
tion the  utter  rejection  of  the  merits  of  Christ  as  the 
ground  of  the  sinner's  hope  :  and  that  too  in  the  very 
face  of  the  divine  declaration,  that,  *'  There  is  no  other 
name  under  heaven  given  among  men,  whereby  we 
must  be  saved,  but  the  name  of  Jesus." 

(3.)  A  third  objection  raised  to  the  doctrine  that  we 
have  been  maintaining,  is  the  gratuitous  and  unscrip- 
tural  asseriion,  that  the  fij'es  of  perdition  will  one  day  cease 
to  burn,  or  that  those  icho  are  shut  up  there,  will,  hy  some 
means  or  other  ^  be  delivered  from  their  dreadful  prison* 


178  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

This  idea  is  utterly  at  war  with  the  whole  testi- 
mony of  God's  word.  It  declares  that ''  as  the  tree  fall- 
eth  so  it  shall  lie,"  ''  That  there  is  no  device,  nor  work 
in  the  grave  "  by  which  men's  state  can  be  changed. 
That  the  punishment  into  which  the  wicked  go,  is 
^^everlasting  punishment ;^^  that  the  fire  into  which 
they  sink,  is  '''  everlasting  /re" — ^'Jire  that  can  never 
be  quenched.^ ^ 

But  even  were  there  scriptural  grounds  for  such  a 
belief — what  a  forlorn  hope — what  perfect  madness 
would  this  be,  to  go  to  heaven  by  choice  through  the 
fires  of  hell,  rather  than  the  favour  of  the  Redeemer's 
blood  ?  To  pass  to  eternal  glory  through  the  burn- 
ing pit,  rather  than  go  up  Calvary's  steep,  along  under 
the  shadow  of  the  Redeemer's  cross. 

But  here  again,  I  remark,  that  this  whole  doctrine 
is  founded  on  vital  error.  If  sinners  are  ever  released 
from  the  pit,  and  are  released  because  they  have  suf- 
fered all  their  sins  deserve,  they  will  not  be  indebted 
to  Christ  at  all,  for  their  salvation. 

When  they  go  up,  and  reach  heaven's  unfolded 
gate,  the  first  sounds  that  enter  their  ear,  will  be  the 
notes  of  the  new  song,  ascending  from  ten  thousand 
ransomed,  glorified  spirits,  saying  to  the  Lamb, 
''  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the 
seals  thereof,  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to 
God  by  thy  blood,  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and 
people,  and  nation.'^''  Every  ransomed  soul  now  in 
heaven,  joins  this  song.  But  these  souls  which  come 
reeking  up  from  purgatorial  fires — from  the  deep  cav- 
erns of  hell,  cannot  join  in  this  new  song.  Christ  has 
not  redeemed  them  by  his  blood.  They  have  suffer- 
ed the  punishment  due  to  their  sins.     They  have  paid 


OF  THE  WICKED  SILENCED.  179 

the  debt  in  their  own  personal  sufierings.  They  are 
under  no  obligations  to  Christ.  They  will  have  to 
take  their  stand  in  a  company  by  themselves,  and 
sing  some  other  song,  besides  the  song  of  the  Lamb  ! 

Oh,  how  utterly  false  must  be  that  belief  which 
holds  out  the  prospect  of  entering  heaven  in  any  other 
way  than  by  the  blood  of  Christ ! 

All  these  attempts  to  make  a  covenant  with  death, 
and  an  agreement  with  hell,  will  be  found  in  the  end 
to  be  utterly  vain  ;  they  will  be  found,  in  the  emphatic 
words  of  the  prophet,  but,  ''  a  refuge  oflies,^^  There 
is  no  hope — no  remission  of  sins,  but  through  the 
blood  of  Christ.  Release  from  the  dread  penalty  of 
the  violated  law  the  sinner  can  never  receive,  after 
he  passes  the  gates  of  death.  And  he  cannot  receive 
release  here,  unless  he  humbles  himself  at  the  feet  of 
his  Saviour,  and  by  an  act  of  submission  makes  an 
unconditional  surrender  of  himself  into  His  hands. 
While  he  remains  unhumbled,  unsubdued,  uncon- 
verted, the  awful  penalty  of  the  violated  law  hangs 
over  him,  and  no  sooner  will  the  period  of  probation 
close,  than  that  penalty  will  be  inflicted.  Then  the 
wrath  of  God  will  be  poured  out  to  the  uttermost. 
Then,  if  never  before,  the  sinner's  mouth  will  heiiop- 
ped, 

(4.)  Another  delusion,  by  which  unconverted  men 
sometimes  blind  their  eyes  to  a  perception  of  the  dan- 
ger of  their  situation,  is  drawn  from  a  confused  and 
indistinct  idea  of  the  atonement  as  being  necessarily 
efficacious  in  their  case,  provided  they  exert  them- 
selves to  live  an  upright  and  moral  life.  This  is  a 
most  fatal  rock  on  which   thousands  split.     A  few 


180  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

remarks  on  this  point,  therefore,  seem  particularly 
called  for. 

There  are  only  two  ways  in  which  we  can  obtain 
the  favour  of  God  ;  the  one  is,  by  keeping  the  law 
wholly  and  entirely ;  and  the  other,  by  accepting  the 
terms  of  the  Gospel. 

Christ  has  made  ''  a  full  and  sufficient  sacrifice^  obla- 
tion and  satisfaction  for  the  whole  world,'^'^  If  we  are 
willing  to  give  up  our  own  pretensions  to  righteous- 
ness, and  rely,  for  our  acceptance,  solely  on  this,  we 
can  be  saved.  But  what  is  the  attitude  of  the  un- 
converted sinner  ?  How  is  he  affected  by  the  blood  of 
atonement?  He  stands  up  in  proud  rebellion,  and 
utterly  refuses  to  draw  near,  and  claim  pardon  through 
the  efficacy  of  that  blood.  He,  therefore,  can  receive 
no  benefit  from  Christ's  sacrifice.  By  refusing  to  lay 
hold  of  the  cross,  he  practically  declares  that  he  had 
rather  be  under  the  condemning  power  of  the  law, 
than  the  mercy  of  the  Gospel !  By  going  about  to  es- 
tablish his  own  righteousness,  and  refusing  to  submit 
to  the  righteousness  of  God,  he  virtually  rests  his  en- 
tire hopes  on  the  law.  But  what  does  the  law  say  % 
*'  The  man  that  doeth  these  things," — i.  e.  all  the 
law  requires — ^' shall  live  by  them."  The  dreadful 
curse  of  God  lights  upon  him  ;  for  it  is  written — 
"  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things 
written  in  the  book  of  the  Jaw  to  do  them."  The 
law  has  no  other  terms.  Its  language  is,  '' Do  this* 
— do  it  all,  without  exception — continue  in  it  from 
first  to  last,  and  you  shall  live ;  but  if  you  offend  in  a 
single  point,  your  doom  is  irreversibly  sealed,  an  ever- 
lasting curse  must  fall  upon  you."  Plead  what  you 
will,  its  denimciations  ai'e  irreversible.     You  may  say 


OF    THE     WICKED    SILENCED.  181 

— "  I  wish  to  obey  (he  law."  The  law,  however,  will 
answer,  "  Tell  me  not  of  your  wishes,  but  do  it." 
Or  should  you  declare — ''  I  have  endeavoured  to  keep 
the  divine  commands,"  the  reply  will  be — ''  Tell 
me  of  no  endeavours ,  but  keep  those  commands,  or  the 
dreadful  curse  of  Jehovah  falls  on  you."  Should 
you  plead — ''I  have  kept  the  law  in  almost  every 
particular,"  your  plea  would  be  met  with  the  stern 
reply — "  Tell  me  not  of  what  you  have  done  almost : 
have  you  obeyed  it  altogether  1  if  not,  you  are  cursed." 
Were  you  able  to  plead — '^  I  have  obeyed  the  law 
from  my  youth  up,  and  have  never  broken  it,  save  in 
one  instance,"  you  would  still  be  without  hope,. 
"  for  he  that  keepeth  the  whole  law  and  yet  offendeth 
in  one  point,  is  guilty  of  all."  Should  you  say — "  I 
am  sorry  for  my  transgressions,"  the  law  would  re- 
ply— '^  I  cannot  regard  your  sorrows,  you  are  under  a 
curse."  Should  you  urge  your  case  still  further  and 
say — ^'  I  will  reform  and  never  transgress  again,"  the 
law  would  answer — "  Your  reformation  cannot  can- 
cel your  past  guilt ;  you  are  under  a  curse."  And 
though  you  should  still  press  your  plea  and  say — ''  If 
I  can  only  find  mercy  for  my  sins,  I  promise  and  most 
sincerely  intend  to  obey  the  law  perfectly  in  future," 
the  law  would  reply — "  I  have  no  concern  with  your 
determination.  I  know  no  such  word  as  mercy.  I 
cannot  alter  my  terms  for  any  created  being.  If  you 
come  up  to  these  terms,  you  have  a  right  to  life,  and 
will  need  no  mercy.  If  you  fall  short  in  any  one  par- 
ticular, nothing  remains  for  you  but  ^  everlasting 
destruction'  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
glory  of  his  power." 

Unconverted  hearer,  you  who  are  resting  on  your 


182  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

morality  for  your  salvation — this  is  the  ground  on 
which  you  stand.  Inasmuch  as  you  have  not  come 
to  Christ,  you  are  under  the  law,  and  for  every  viola- 
tion of  that  law  the  curse  of  God  rests  upon  your  head. 
Oh,  whither  can  you  turn  to  escape  the  wrath  of  God  1 
Will  not  your  mouth  be  stopped  ] 

How  sad  and  lamentable  is  the  case  of  unconverted 
men !  They  are  covered  with  guilt.  They  stand  in 
the  attitude  of  rebellion  against  God,  and  they  love 
their  rebellion,  though  they  see  the  end  thereof  is 
, death. 

My  unconverted  friends,  what  can  I  do  for  you 
,more  1  In  obedience  to  the  command  of  my  Saviour, 
I  have  endeavoured  to  lift  up  my  voice,  and  show 
you  your  transgressions  and  your  sins,  and  also  the 
dreadful  consequences  that  will  follow.  I  have  done 
this  in  love,  and  have  endeavoured  to  do  it  with  fi- 
delity. But  if  all  I  have  said,  and  all  the  testimony 
that  has  been  adduced  from  God's  word,  does  not 
move  you,  what  can  I  do  more  ?  Why  should  I  pro- 
ceed to  hold  up  before  you  the  Lamb  of  God,  since, 
if  you  do  not  see  your  sins,  and  see  that  they  deserve 
God's  everlasting  wrath,  you  will  certainly  reject 
him.  And  yet,  as  I  stand  here  contemplating  your 
case,  I  feel  the  strongest  sympathies  of  my  soul  drawn 
towards  you  !  Oh,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?  I  know 
the  awful  danger  of  your  situation.  I  never  can  for- 
get that  I  once  stood  on  that  same  awful  cliff,  where 
you  now  stand.  If  the  sovereign  grace  and  mercy  of 
God  had  not  awakened  me  from  my  lethargy,  and 
plucked  me  from  that  perilous  cliff,  I  should  not  be 
standing  here  to-night  to  plead  with  you.  The  same 
blindness  once  veiled  my  eyes.     I  was  just  as  ready 


OP    THE    WICKED    SILENCED.  183 

to  make  excuses,  just  as  much  disposed  to  cast  the 
blame  of  sin  on  God,  as  you  are.  Oh,  the  riches  of 
grace ! 

"  What  am  I,  oh,  thou  glorious  God  ! 


That  thou  such  mercies  hast  bestowed 

On  me — the  vilest  reptile  :  me  ! 
Me  in  my  blood  thy  love  pass'd  by, 

And  stopp'd,  my  ruin  to  retrieve ; 
Wept  o'er  my  soul  thy  pitying  eye, 

Thy  bowels  yearn'd — and  sounded  '  Live.'' 
Dying,  I  heard  the  welcome  sound. 
And  pardon  in  thy  mercy  found." 

Oh,  I  can  never  thank  God  enough  for  this  act  of 
mercy  ! 

«'  Praise,  my  soul,  the  God  that  sought  thee, 

Wretched  wanderer,  far  astray ; 
Found  thee  lost  and  kindly  brought  thee, 

From  the  paths  of  death  away  ; 
Praise  with  love's  devoutest  feeling, 

Him  who  saw  thy  guilt-born  fear, 
And  the  light  of  hope  revealing, 

Bade  the  blood-stained  cross  appear." 

Dear,  dying  fellow  sinners,  that  blood-stained  cross 
is  lifted  up  here  to-night.  Oh,  that  you  would  look 
towards  it  and  live.  I  know  too  well  your  danger  to 
refrain  from  beseeching  you,  by  all  the  mercies  of 
God,  to  come  to  an  immediate  decision,  whether  you 
will  live  any  longer  without  Christ,  under  the  dread- 
ful curse  of  God's  righteous  law  !  Why  will  ye  rush 
on  to  your  own  everlasting  destruction? 

Suffer  me  again  to  expostulate  with  you.  Is  it  not 
worth  your  while  to  bestow  some  thought  and  con- 
sideration upon  a  state  of  existence,  upon  which  you 


184  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

are  shortly  to  enter,  and  which  will  never  end  1 
Have  you  yet  bestowed  so  much  thought  and  conside- 
ration upon  this  subject,  as  to  have  come  to  a  clear, 
scriptural,  and  satisfactory  conclusion,  whether  you 
will  spend  this  unending  existence  amid  the  raptures 
of  heaven,  or  the  agonies  of  the  pit ;  whether  you  will 
be  a  seraph  at  God's  right  hand,  or  burn  for  ever  in 
the  lake  below  1 

Perhaps  you  are  fully  convinced,  that  if  you  should 
die  as  you  now  are,  you  would  be  lost  for  ever ;  and 
yet  you  are  not  enough  alarmed  about  your  awful  sin- 
fulness before  God,  to  lead  you  to  do  anything  more 
than  put  forth  some  feeble  attempts  at  external  refor- 
mation. You  have  not  yet  resolved  to  go  to  the 
mercy-seat  instantly,  for  pardon  and  everlasting  life. 
Oh,  deluded  sinner,  why  do  you  linger  and  delay? 
Your  case  is  desperate,  and  you  w^ill  everlastingly 
perish,  unless  you  have  immediate  relief.  There  is 
only  one  remedy  adequate  to  this  relief,  and  that  is 
the  blood  of  Christ.  His  blood  cleanseth  from  all  sin. 
Slight  attempts  at  external  reformation  w411  not  reach 
nor  remove  your  deep-seated  malady.  Your  heart 
must  be  changed,  and  your  whole  moral  nature  cre- 
ated anew. 

Unconverted  friends,  could  I  draw  aside  the  curtain 
this  evening,  and  show  you  all  that  will  happen  with- 
in five  years — could  you  see  this  and  that  friend,  one 
after  another,  plunging  into  the  awful  pit,  what  would 
you  do  1  When  )^ou  retired  from  this  place  would 
you  not  think  of  what  you  had  seen  ?  Would  you 
not  go  to  more  friends  and  urge  them  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come  ? 

God  sees  all  that  I  have  supposed.     He  sees  who 


OF  THE  WICKED  SILENCED.  185 

of  this  congregation  will  soon  step  off  into  the  pit  of 
destruction,  and  He  has  bid  me  come  and  tell  you 
who  they  are.  Shall  I  discharge  my  duty  and  tell 
you  who  they  are  ?  My  hearer,  if  you  are  uncon- 
verted, you  are  one  of  them.  The  hour  that  seals 
your  doom  will  speedily  arrive.  I  declare  unto  you 
the  testimony  of  God — will  you  not  believe  me  1 
*'  The  wages  of  sin  is  death." 

Were  I  to  die  to-morrow,  and,  after  I  had  visited 
the  invisible  world,  were  I  permitted  to  come  back 
and  tell  you  what  I  had  seen,  would  you  be  willing 
to  hear  me  1  would  you  believe  and  regard  what  I 
should  say  ?  If  so,  believe  me  now ;  for  you  have 
better  evidence  than  my  word.  I  declare  unto  you 
the  testimony  of  God,  ''  The  wages  of  sin  is  death,^^ 

Were  I  permitted  to  preach  one  sermon  after  I  had 
passed  the  gates  of  death,  and  had  seen  the  fields  of 
Paradise,  and  the  deep  caverns  of  the  burning  pit — 
Avould  you  not  then  wish  me  to  speak  plainly  the 
whole  truth,  and  would  you  not  lay  to  heart  what 
was  said  ?  And  why  do  you  not  Avish  me  to  speak  so 
to-night  ?  Why  will  you  not  regard  my  present  mes- 
sage, as  though  it  came  from  the  lips  of  a  man  who 
had  been  into  the  eternal  world  ?  for  I  can  give  you 
better  assurance  of  the  truth  of  what  I  say,  than  if  I 
had  been  there  and  seen  it  with  my  own  eyes.  I  de- 
clare unto  you  the  testimony  of  God,  '^  The  wages  of 
sin  is  death.''^  It  is  possible  for  one  from  the  dead  to 
deceive  you  ;  but  God  cannot  deceive  you,  and  he 
declares  that  ''  The  xoages  of  sin  is  death,^^ — that  you 
lie  under  the  curse  of  the  law,  and  that  unless  you 
turn  to  the  stronghold  of  a  Redeemer's  righteousness 
without  delay,  you  will  certainly  sink  into  the  hot- 


186  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PUNISHMENT 

tomless  pitj  and  there  will  gather  over  you  the  black- 
ness of  darkness  for  ever  and  ever.  God  says  this  to 
cver}^  unconverted  person  here.  And  what  nov/,  un- 
converted friend,  do  you  purpose  to  dol  Do  you  see 
your  sins,  and  feel  that  you  merit  the  divine  displea- 
sure ?  Are  you  groaning  under  a  sense  of  your  vile- 
ness  and  guilt]     Do  you  long  to  be  delivered  ? 

If  the  Lord  permits,  next  Sunday  evening  I  will 
endeavour  to  point  out  to  you  the  way  of  escape. 
But  before  another  week  passes  by,  some  of  these  un- 
converted hearers  may  have  gone  to  their  last  account! 
Let  me,  then,  now  say  to  you,  '^  The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin.^^  I  entreat  you,  have 
immediate  recourse  to  that  blood.  Go  to  the  mercy- 
seat  to-night.  Give  your  heart  to  God  before  you 
sleep.  Do  not  lie  down  another  night  under  the 
weight  of  all  your  unforgiven  sin ;  if  you  do,  you 
may  lie  down  in  sorrow  for  ever.  This  truth  forces 
itself  upon  my  mind  with  awful  power  at  this 
moment  from  the  recollection  of  a  very  touching 
incident. 

A  friend  of  mine,  who  resided  in  Virginia,  had,  on 
one  occasion,  been  preaching  to  a  large  audience  on 
the  importance  of  immediate  repentance,  and  had 
presented  to  his  hearers,  as  I  have  this  evening,  the 
certainty  of  the  endless  destruction  of  all  those  who 
die  unconverted.  There  w^as  in  that  audience,  a  gay, 
talented  young  man,  who  had  previously  lived  for 
the  world,  and  laughed  at  the  idea  of  religion.  But 
on  this  occasion  the  truth,  accompanied  with  the 
Spirit  of  God,  found  its  way  to  his  heart.  The  voice 
of  that  herald  of  Jesus  woke  him  from  his  false  secur- 


OF  THE  WICKED  SILENCED.  187 

ity,  and  as  the  preacher  iDroceeded,  he  hung-  upon  his 
lips — his  ears  drank  in  every  word,  and  more  than 
once  during  that  discourse,  his  cheeks  were  bedewed 
with  tears.  When  he  left  the  church,  he  said,  with 
much  seriousness,  to  a  young  friend,  ''  I  have  made 
up  my  mind — I  am  determined  I  will  not  die  without 
religion.  When  I  have  attained  such  an  object " — 
specifying  what  it  was — ''  I  will  address  myself  im- 
mediately to  the  business  of  my  salvation."  Just 
three  days  from  that  time  this  young  man  was  attack- 
ed with  violent  disease,  and  laid  upon  a  dying  bed. 
Full  of  alarm,  he  cried  out,  ''What  can  I  do,  if  I  die 
as  I  now  am  ?  I  am  lost  for  ever !  Oh,  that  I  had 
not  put  off  the  business  of  my  salvation.  Oh,  that  I 
had  begun  three  days  ago  ;  what  shall  I  do  ?"  His 
pains  increased — his  malady  grew  more  malignant. 
Before  he  could  receive  any  religious  counsel,  delirium 
seized  upon  his  brain.  When  the  sun  rose,  the  next 
Sabbath  morning,  its  earliest  beams  that  streamed 
through  the  window  of  his  chamber,  fell  on  his  life- 
less and  unbreathing  corse.  Unconverted  hearer, 
what  security  have  you,  that  another  day  will  be  al- 
lowed you  in  which  to  make  your  peace  with  God  ? 

"  Lo,  on  a  narrow  neck  of  land, 
'Twixt  two  unbounded  seas  you  stand, 
Yet  how  insensible  ! 
A  point  of  time — a  moment's  space, 
Removes  you — where — where  ? 
Raise,  thoughtless  sinner,  raise  thine  eye, 


Behold  the  balance  is  displayed. 

See  in  one  scale  God's  holy  law, 

Mark  with  what  force  its  precepts  draw  ; 


188   OBJECTIONS    TO  PUNISHING  THE  WICKED  SILENCED. 

Canst  thou  the  awful  test  sustain  ? 

Thy  works,  how  light !  thy  thoughts,  how  vain  ! 

Behold  the  hand  of  God  appears, 

And  writes  in  dreadful  characters 

TEKEL — thy  soul  is  wanting  found  ; 

With  trembling,  hear  the  awful  sound." 

Then  thy  mouth  will  be  for  ever  stopped — thy  doom 
sealed.  All  will  be  over — all  will  be  lost.  Now 
mercy  waits  and  pleads.  Shall  she  plead  in  vain  1 
Oh,  sinner^  come  to  Christ ! 


DISCOURSE  VIII. 

HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY. 

"  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 

John  i   29. 

If  the  wages  of  sin  be  death  ;  if  the  sinner  cannot 
escape  the  consequences  of  sin  by  any  might  or  wisdom 
of  his  own,  the  inquiry  naturally  arises,  can  help  or  de- 
liverance be  obtained  from  no  other  quarter  ?  Is  there 
no  door  of  escape — no  refuge  to  which  sinners  can  fly, 
and  be  shielded  from  the  awful  and  endless  consequen- 
ces flowing  from  the  infraction  of  the  divine  law  1 
Thanks  be  to  ^jod,  we  can  answ^er  this  question  in  the 
affirmative.  Glad  tidings  of  mercy  and  salvation  have 
been  proclaimed  on  earth.  The  Gospel  reveals  intelli- 
gence of  the  most  interesting  character.  It  discloses 
the  hope  of  pardon,  and  shows  how  it  is  possible  for  sin- 
ners to  be  forgiven  and  received  into  heaven  without 
sullying  the  holiness  of  God,  compromising  his  truth, 
or  infringing  upon  the  great  principles  of  his  govern- 
ment. 

It  discloses  an  expedient  by  which  the  same,  or  even 


190  HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY. 

more  valuable,  moral  impressions  may  be  made  upon 
the  mind  of  all  God's  intelligent  creatures,  while  sin- 
ners are  pardoned  and  saved,  than  if  every  violator  of 
the  divine  law  had  gone  down  into  the  bottomless  pit 
to  endure  everlasting  suffering.  This  expedient,  how- 
ever, does  not  set  any  being  free  from  the  restraints 
of  the  divine  government,  but  greatly  contributes  to 
sustain  and  uphold  that  government.  It  gives  us  a 
most  affecting  and  impressive  view  of  the  authority 
of  God — of  the  inviolability  of  his  law,  and  of  the 
eternal  obligations  we  are  under  to  keep  that  law. 

The  truth  of  these  remarks  will  be  fully  illustrated 
in  the  exposition  of  the  text,  ''  Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God  that  takeih  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 

A  distinguished  American  artist,  who,  by  the  power 
of  his  pencil,  had  immortalized  his  name,  having 
completed  a  series  of  historic  paintings,  which  repre- 
sented the  blessed  Saviour  as  passing  through  the 
great  and  successive  events  connected  with  his  per- 
sonal ministry  on  earth,  threw  open  the  doors  of  his 
gallery,  and  invited  his  friends  to  come  and  inspect 
this  production,  upon  which  he  had  bestowed  so  much 
time  and  toil.  It  was  my  happiness  to  be  one  among 
the  number  to  whom  this  invitation  waS  tended.  The 
room  in  which  the  paintings  were  exhibited  was  very 
spacious,  and  when  I  entered  it  was  nearly  filled  with 
those  who  had  come  on  the  same  errand  with  myself. 
As  I  looked  around,  we  seemed  to  be  treading  over 
the  soil  of  Palestine,  and  placed  amid  the  very  scenes 
delineated  in  the  New  Testament.  The  figures  on 
the  canvass  were  nearly  as  large  as  the  objects  they 
represented,  and  stood  out  from  the  surface  with  such 
relief,  as,  for  the  moment,  to  inspire  one  with  the  be- 


HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY.  191 

lief  that  it  was  a  living  scene — and  all  the  characters 
represented  were  actually  before  you  in  living  reality. 
The  chief  point  of  attraction  in  this  series  of  historic 
paintings  was  the  last  in  the  series,  where  the  Re- 
deemer was  represented  as  nailed  to  the  cross  and  ex- 
piring in  agon}^  Over  him  were  the  darkened  hea- 
vens, and  beneath  the  quaking  earth. 

Every  eye  seemed  riveted  on  that  scene  :  and  amid 
all  the  assembled  company,  not  a  voice,  not  a  whis- 
per was  heard.  Through  the  whole  room  there  was 
the  hushed  stillness  of  death.  Upon  the  ear  of  every 
spectator  there  seemed  to  come  from  that  speaking 
canvass  a  still  small  voice,  saying,  *•'  Behold  the  Lamb 
of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 

It  is  just  such  an  exhibition  as  this  that  I  wish  to 
hold  up  vividly  before  this  audience  to-night  ;  and 
while  you  are  gazing  upon  the  affecting  spectacle  of 
your  Redeemer,  stretched  in  agony  upon  the  cross,  I 
would  not  break  the  deep  silence  around  me,  only  so 
far  as  is  necessary  to  interpret  the  meaning  of  what 
you  behold.  Dismiss,  then,  your  worldly  medita- 
tions :  call  in  your  scattered  thoughts,  leave  all  your 
waking  dreams  of  earthly  happiness,  and  all  your 
earth-born  cares  behind,  and  come  up  the  sacred  mount 
with  me,  and  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  GodJ^ 

''  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world." 

There  is  an  evident  allusion  in  the  text  to  the  sacri- 
fices offered  under  the  law.  Several  of  the  sacrifices, 
under  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  required  a  lamb  to  be 
slain,  and  offered  as  the  prescribed  victim.*     This  was 

*  This  was  the  fact  in  relation  to  the  daily  morning  and  evening 
sacrifice  in  the  Temple.     A  lamb  was  offered  twice  a  day. 


192  HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY. 

peculiarly  the  case  in  the  yearly  and  solemn  sacrifice 
of  the  ''  Passover."  That  institution  owed  its  origin 
to  an  interesting  fact  in  the  history  of  God's  chosen 
people.  After  many  judgments  had  been  sent  upon 
the  proud  and  unsubdued  king  of  Egypt,  to  bring  him 
into  a  state  of  submission,  God  determined  to  smite 
down  the  first  born  through  the  land  with  death. 
Accordingly  the  angel  of  destruction  was  to  go  forth 
on  a  certain  nighi,  and  breathe  death  in  every  dwell- 
ing, from  the  palace  of  the  monarch  to  the  hovel  of 
the  slave.  The  children  of  Israel,  however,  were  to 
be  spared.  Each  family  of  them  were  to  take  a  lamb 
and  kill  it,  and  sprinkle  its  blood  on  the  lintel,  and 
two  side-posts  of  their  door,  and  when  the  destroying 
angel  saw  the  blood,  he  was  to  Passover^  and  spare 
the  first  born  of  that  house. 

The  awful  night  in  which  the  destroying  angel 
went  through  the  land,  breathing  death  into  every 
Egyptian  dwelling,  broke  the  fetters  of  bondage  from 
off  the  hands  of  the  Israelites.  Their  oppressors  were 
now  glad  to  see  them  depart.  And  that  very  night 
they  rose  up,  and  went  out  from  the  land  of  their 
servitude. 

To  keep  up  the  remembrance  of  their  deliverance 
from  the  sword  of  the  destroying  angel,  and  their 
escape  from  the  hands  of  those  who  cruelly  oppressed 
them,  the  Hebrews  were  required  ever  after,  on  the 
anniversary  of  that  day,  to  kill  a  lamb,  offer  it  in 
sacrifice  to  God,  and  eat  its  flesh  as  they  did'on  the 
night  of  their  departure  from  Egypt. 

Several  days  before  the  appointed  sacrifice  was  offer- 
ed, a  little  innocent  lamb  was  taken  from  the  flock, 
separated  from  its  mother — shut  up  alone  where  no 


HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE   TAKEN    AWAY.  193 

one  came  to  commiserate  its  piteous  moans  and  bleat- 
ing-. At  length  it  was  brought  forth,  bound,  and  laid 
on  the  altar.  Then  the  sacrificial  knife,  while  it  lay 
there  silent  and  unresisting,  was  thrust  into  its  very 
vitals.  Its  life-blood  streamed  forth.  Its  flesh,  still 
quivering  with  life,  was  then  burned  on  the  altar. 

All  this  was  done  to  point  the  eye  forward  to  Christ 
who  is  "  The  Lamb  of  God.''^  As  the  blood  of  the  pas- 
chal lamb  reminded  the  Israelite,  not  only  of  his  pro- 
tection from  the  sword  of  the  angel,  but  of  his  deliver- 
ance from  the  hands  of  his  oppressors,  so  it  was  in- 
tended to  teach  that  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  would 
not  only  turn  away  the  sword  of  Justice  from  the  sin- 
ner's head,  but  break  in  sunder  the  fetters  of  corrup- 
tion— and  enable  him  to  go  forth  from  the  slavery  of 
Satan,  into  the  glorious  liberty  of  a  child  of  God. 

Jesus  Christ,  in  whom  was  found  spotless  innocence, 
was  led  like  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter.  He  was  stripped 
and  beaten :  separated  from  his  friends,  insulted, 
mocked  and  reviled,  and  at  last  nailed  to  a  cross, 
and  left  to  hang  there  in  dreadful  agony  till  he 
expired. 

Behold  Him  on  that  cross  !  See  the  crimson  spots, 
where  the  thorns  l|ave  pressed  his  sacred  forehead. 
Behold  his  perforate^  hands,  and  pierced  side.  See 
what  anguish  is  depicted  upon  his  sweet  and  heavenly 
countenance  ;  and  then  remember  who  He  is,  and  what 
he  came  to  do  !  This  is  none  other  than  the  incar- 
nate Son  of  God  :  he  who  was  '^  before  all  worlds, 
and  by  whom  all  things  consist — the  brightness  of  his 

Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person 

God  over  all  /"     He  came  here  to  save  and  bless  our 
world ;  to  save  and  bless  the  very  men  who  crucified 
9 


194  HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY. 

him — to  save  and  bless  every  sinner  in  this  audience  ! 
"  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  /"  See  how  dark  the  hea- 
vens are  over  him  !  What  a  drapery  of  gloom  is  flung 
over  all  the  bright  scenes  of  nature,  while  Jesus, 

"  Their  mighty  maker  dies  I 
Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  !" 

As  we  gaze  on  this  scene,  what  high  and  holy  in- 
struction emanates  from  the  cross  !  The  grand  cen- 
tral truth,  that  meets  our  eye  in  this  affecting  scene, 
is,  that  God,  for  the  sake  of  these  sufferings  of  his  son, 
will  pardon  every  sinner  who  comes  and  looks  on  him, 
and  rests  all  his  hopes  of  acceptance  on  the  efficacy  of 
this  atoning  sacrifice  :  Or,  in  other  words,  that  God 
will  accept  and  save  every  sinner  who  comes  and 
stands  at  the  foot  of  the  cross,  and  casts  his  perishing 
soul  on  Christ ;  who  looks  up  to  Jesus,  dying  there, 
and  says,  "•  I  ought  to  suffer  through  all  eternity  these 
horrid  death-pangs  which  my  Saviour  endures.  They 
are  my  just  desert.  I  am  guilty,  but  he  is  innocent. 
He  endures  them  in  my  place.  I  believe  that  God  is 
ready  to  pardon  me  now,  for  Christ's  sake.  I  will 
not  refuse  this  pardon.  I  take  thee.  Eternal  God,  at 
thy  word.  I  here  surrender  myself  into  thy  hands. 
I  hate  the  sins  which  have  separated  between  me  and 
thee,  and  for  which  it  would  be  perfectly  just  for  me 
to  perish  ybr  eve7\  But  everlastingly  adored  be  thy 
name  for  this  wonderful  provision  of  mercy  and  grace 
in  Christ.  I  cheerfully,  cordially,  eagerly  embrace 
this  provision.  I  rest  my  everlasting  all  upon  thy 
promise.  I  will  ever  seek  to  love,  and  serve,  and 
obey  thee.  Thy  will,  ever  hereafter,  shall  be  the 
rule  of  my  conduct." 


HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE   TAKEN    AWAY.  195 

The  man  who  can  stand  at  the  foot  of  the  cross, 
and  in  the  full  sincerity  of  his  heart,  give  utterance 
to  these,  or  similar  sentiments,  has  embraced  the  Sa- 
viour. He  has  believed  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
He  is  no  longer  under  condemnation.  Christ  hath 
taken  his  sins  away.  Hence  we  can  see  the  true  im- 
port of  the  text,  ''  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 
(The  removal  of  the  penalty  from  the  sinner's  soul, 
is,  as  I  have  already  remarked,  the  grand  central  truth 
which  meets  our  eye,  in  "  beholding  the  Lamh  of  God.^^ 
He  hangs  on  the  cross  to  take  away  the  sins  of  all 
those  who  will  look  to  this  atoning  sacrifice,  and  em- 
brace it,  as  it  is  set  forth  in  the  Avord  of  life.  ''  Behold 
the  Lamb  of  God  /" 

1.  The  first  remark  that  I  would  offer  is,  that  a 
view  ^of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  shows  the  inviola- 
bility and  holiness  of  God's  Law.  Nothing  is  more 
important  than  that  we  should  have  right  views  and 
just  conceptions  of  the  divine  law.  That  law  must 
necessarily  be  good  in  every  respect,  since  it  is  a  per- 
fect transcript  of  the  mind  and  will  of  God,  and  in  its 
operations  tends  directly  to  promote,  in  the  highest 
possible  manner,  the  glory  of  God  and  the  happiness 
of  every  intelligent  being.  The  infraction  of  this  law, 
therefore,  is  an  assault  upon  the  character  of  God — 
an  attempt  to  rob  him  of  His  glory,  and  to  thwart  His 
purposes  of  benevolence  to  His  creatures.  An  act  so 
malignant — fraught  with  such  evil  to  the  whole  uni- 
verse— could  not  be  overlooked,  or  allowed  to  go  un- 
punished, under  the  government  of  a  wise,  good,  and 
holy  being ;  and  hence  to  show  that  the  divine  law 
could  in  no  case  be  violated  with  impunity,  God  laid 


196  HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY. 

all  the  violations  of  this  law,  of  which  human  crea- 
tures had  been  guilty,  upon  His  Son,  and  then  un- 
sheathed the  glittering  sword  of  infinite  justice,  and 
bathed  it  in  the  blood  of  His  Son — holding  up  to  the 
view  of  the  whole  universe,  the  inviolability  of  His 
high  and  holy  law, 

2.  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God.  Look  at  the  atoning 
sacrifice  of  Calvary,  and  you  will  there  see  the  most 
constraining  motives  to  urge  every  human  creature  to 
walk  in  the  path  of  obedience.  The  sacrifice  of 
Christ,  by  the  moral  impression  it  must  make,  when 
contemplated,  upon  the  minds  of  all  intelligent  crea- 
tures, is  eminently  calculated  to  establish  the  principle 
of  obedience,  and  uphold  the  divine  government.  To 
see  the  full  force  of  this  position,  let  us  suppose,  for  a 
moment,  that  God  had  consented  to  take  our  race 
up  into  heaven  without  any  such  expression  of  His  dis- 
pleasure against  sin,  what  would  have  been  the  effect 
upon  those  myriads  of  pure,  loyal  spirits,  around  the 
throne'?  What  impression  would  have  been  made 
upon  their  minds,  if  our  rebellious  race  had  thus  been 
received  into  those  mansions  of  light,  without  any  re- 
paration made  for  so  great  an  injury  and  insult  to  God, 
as  every  act  of  sin  is  ?  What  would  have  become  of 
the  truth  of  God  ?  He  had  declared  solemnly,  and 
by  His  eternal  existence,  that  if  His  law  was  broken, 
the  pangs  of  endless  death  should  be  the  penalty. 
But  here  is  a  whole  race  of  beings,  who  have  broken 
that  law  times  without  number,  and  yet  the  penalty 
has  not  been  inflicted  upon  them,  nor  upon  any  one 
appointed  to  stand  as  their  substitute.  After  witness- 
ing such  a  departure  from  His  word,  which  had  been 
pledged  under  such  high  and  solemn  circumstances— 


HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY.  197 

could  the  heavenly  host  any  longer  repose  confidence 
in  the  truth  of  God  ? 

Again :  What  would  become  of  the  authority  of 
God  ?  As  a  sovereign,  and  the  Supreme  Legislator 
of  the  universe,  he  has  issued  commands  and  enacted 
laws  to  regulate  and  control  the  behaviour  of  his  crea- 
tures. But  here  is  a  race  of  beings  that  have  paid  no 
sort  of  regard  to  His  commands.  All  the  angelic  in- 
telligences heard  him  proclaim  that  law.  They  see 
how  contemptuously  mankind  have  trampled  on  it; 
and  if,  after  all  this,  mankind  are  taken  up  into  hea- 
ven, without  there  being  inflicted  upon  some  one  who 
stands  as  their  representative,  a  penalty  that  will  vin- 
dicate the  honour  of  God's  insulted  law,  what  will 
become  of  the  authority  of  Jehovah  in  heaven  ?  The 
grand  principle  of  obedience  will  be  annihilated! 
The  elements  of  revolt  would  thus  be  introduced  into 
the  very  heart  of  God's  empire ! 

And  then^  what  would  become  of  God's  goodness '? 
He  would  have  permitted  an  act,  under  his  govern- 
ment, that  would  inevitably  pour  the  tide  of  rebellion 
through  the  celestial  regions,  and  desolate  his  wide 
and  boundless  emj^ire. 

We  see,  therefore,  that  he  must  either  abdicate  His 
eternal  throne,  or  inflict  the  penalty  annexed  to  the 
violated  law.  And  now  here  it  is,  that  we  behold,  in 
the  act  of  human  redemption,  the  depths  of  infinite 
wisdom  and  grace. 

Had  the  Most  High  inflicted  the  penalty  upon  the 
transgressor  who  had  incurred  it,  without  opening  to 
him  a  door  of  escape,  every  sinner  on  this  globe 
would  have  gone  down  to  an  eternal  hell.  Mni  God's 
infinite  love  and  boundless  compassion  prompted  Him 


198  HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY. 

to  set  forth  His  Son  as  our  substitute — to  lay  on  him 
our  transgressions — to  allow  him  to  suffer  in  our  place, 
and  to  offer  us  a  free  salvation,  if  we  would  embrace 
Christ  as  our  Redetoer,  and  submit  to  Him  as  our 
rightful  govevnoi.'-^ 

By  such  a  substitution,  the  impression  made  upon 
the  minds  of  all  the  heavenly  host,  provided  that  no 
sinner  is  pardoned  except  he  is  brought  into  a  state  of 
penitence  and  submission,  would  be  more  deep  and 
durable  than  if  every  human  transgressor  had  gone 
down  for  ever  into  the  bottomless  pit.  When  the 
Angelic  Host  saw  the  eternal  Son,  whom  they  had 
adored  as  God  over  all — when  they  saw  the  very 
Being,  who  at  first  awoke  them  into  existence,  laying 
aside  the  splendours  and  glory  of  the  Godhead,  going 
down  to  earth,  becoming  a  man,  and  submitting  to 
die  on  a  cross  in  the  place  of  this  ruined  race — no 
wonder  they  desired  ''  to  look  into  "  this  wonderful 
event !  What  a  view  did  it  give  them  of  the  holiness 
of  God's  law,  and  of  the  impossibility  of  violating  it 
without  incurring  eternal  destruction !  How  were 
the  l,ruth,  and  justice,  and  mercy  of  God  upheld  and 
illustrated  by  the  death  and  sacrifice  of  Christ !  And 
how  was  His  authority  strengthened  by  such  a  display 
of  His  unrelenting  displeasure  against  sin,  or  the  vio- 
lation of  His  law. 

The  same  moral  impression  made  upon  the  minds 
of  the  heavenly  Host,  this  atoning  sacrifice  is  calcu- 
lated to  make  upon  the  heart  of  every  human  creature. 
And  herein  consists  the  moral  power  of  the  Gospel, 
and  its  peculiar  adaptedness  to  melt  down  the  heart  of 
sinners  into  penitence  and  submission. 

Allow  me  to  illustrate  this  idea  still  farther  by  re- 


HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY.  199 

ferring  to  an  historical  event  which  will  tend  to  throw 
some  new  light  upon  the  subject  of  vicarious  suffering. 

You  are  all  probably  familiar  with  the  incident  to 
which  I  refer,  which  occurred  among  the  Locrians, 
one  of  the  most  ancient  people  of  Greece.  Their 
king,  in  order  to  place  additional  safeguards  around 
the  chastity,  virtue,  and  happiness  of  his  subjects, 
caused  a  law  to  be  passed  in  relation  to  the  crime  of 
adultery,  enforced  by  high  penal  sanctions.  By  the 
very  terms  of  this  law,  no  one  could  be  guilty  of  this 
crime  in  his  kingdom,  without  subjecting  himself  to 
the  awful  penalty  of  having  his  eyes  torn  out. 

This  was  a  good  law.  By  placing  additional  safe- 
guards around  the  sanctuary  of  the  domestic  circle,  it 
was  calculated  to  secure  the  peace,  and  promote  the 
happiness  and  welfare  of  every  family  in  the  kingdom. 
This  law  is  enacted.  It  is  proclaimed  through  the 
realm.  Surely,  for  a  short  time,  it  will  make  the  de- 
bauchee and  the  odious  seducer  stand  abashed !  But 
no — the  law  has  been  broken — the  transgressor  is  the 
king's  own  son.  The  crime  is  clearly  proved  against 
him.  What  now  will  be  done?  The  eyes  of  the 
whole  nation  are  upon  the  king  !  Will  he  respect 
his  own  laws?  There  are  many  powerful  induce- 
ments to  cause  the  father  to  relent.  It  is  his  own 
child  that  is  to  suffer  this  terrible  penalty  !  Upon  this 
child  he  has  built  high  expectations.  To  him  he  has 
looked  for  a  successor.  It  is  his  only  son  !  Shall  a 
father's  hand  quench  the  light  of  those  bright  eyes, 
and  fix  upon  his  son  a  mark  of  eternal  infamy  ?  It  is 
indeed  hard. 

But  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  the  crime  committed  is 
heinous.     The  law  which  forbids  it  is  good,  and  the 


200  HOW    SIN    IS   TO   BE    TAKEN    AWAY. 

penalty  just.  It  is  essential  to  the  well-being  and 
happiness  of  the  nation,  that  this  law  should  be  strict- 
ly adhered  to.  A  dispensation  from  the  penalty  can- 
not be  granted  in  this  case,  without  making  the  law 
for  ever  null  and  void. 

How  shall  the  father  decide  ?  The  guilty  son  is 
summoned  before  him.  The  executioners  stand  by, 
waiting  to  commence  their  bloody  work.  However 
much  that  father's  feelings  inclined  him  to  pardon 
his  child,  the  claims  of  justice  bid  him  not  relent. 
That  child,  who  stood  trembling  before  him,  was  guil- 
ty. He  deserved  the  punishment  in  its  full  measure, 
Unless  it  was  inflicted,  all  obedience  would  be  de- 
stroyed. 

The  signal  was,  therefore,  given  to  the  execution- 
ers to  proceed — with  this  restriction,  however,  that 
when  they  had  torn  out  one  of  his  eyes,  they  should 
desist ;  and  then  he  would  lie  down  in  his  son's  place, 
and  allow  them  to  put  out  one  of  his  eyes,  and  thus 
divide  the  penalty  between  himself  and  his  child. 

Now,  I  ask,  what  impression  must  have  been  made 
upon  the  minds  of  the  Locrians,  who  stood  by,  and 
heard  this  sentence,  and  witnessed  this  scene  1  Did 
not  this  transaction  strengthen  the  authority  of  that 
king  1  Did  it  not  speak  with  a  voice  of  thunder  to 
all  his  subjects,  that  they  could  not  break  this  law 
with  impunity  ?  And  what  effect  must  it  have  pro- 
duced upon  the  heart  of  that  son!  Could  he  have 
failed  to  have  been  deeply  affected  in  witnessing  the 
sternness  of  justice,  and  the  extent  and  depth  of  a 
father's  love,  in  consenting  to  suffer  in  his  place? 

Like  that  guilty  son,  all  of  our  race  have  broken 
God's  just,  and  good,  and  holy  law.     The  penalty  of 


HOW   SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY.  201 

the  divine  law  must  be  inflicted.  "^-^L^Jtiery  sinner  merits 
the  whole  amount  of  the  wrath  and  wo  it  threatens. 
But  lo !  while  the  drawn  and  glittering  sword  of  di- 
vine justice  is  lifted  up  and  just  ready  to  fall  upon  our 
guilty  heads,  the  Son  of  God  comes  forward  and  offers 
to  receive  the  dreadful  blow  in  his  own  person.  He 
offers  to  suffer  in  our  place,  the  just  for  the  unjust. 
Unlike  the  Locrian  king,  he  offers  to  take  not  a 
part,  but  the  whole  penalty  from  us.  He  is  moved 
to  this,  however,  not  from  any  conception  that  it 
would  be  unjust  for  us  to  suffer  the  penalty,  but 
solely  from  motives  of  compassion. 

The  king  of  the  Locrians  did  not  suffer  one  of  his 
own  eyes  to  be  put  out  instead  of  that  of  his  son's, 
because  he  supposed  that  his  son  did  not  deserve  to 
have  both  of  his  eyes  torn  from  their  sockets.  He 
did  deserve  this.  The  father  knew  it ;  but  such  feel- 
ings of  compassion  were  waked  up  in  his  bosom  to- 
wards his  son,  that  he  was  willing  to  suffer  in  his 
place.  \A.nd  in  like  manner  Christ  knows  that  every 
sinner  deserves  endless  death,  and  that  it  would  be 
perfectly  right  in  God  to  pour  upon  him  wrath  unto  the 
uttermost.  Yet  rather  than  that  the  sinner  should  go 
down  to  the  pit,  he  is  willing  to  yield  up  his  life  in 
his  place. 

Well  may  we  say,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  /" 
Let  men  and  angels  gaze  upon  the  scene  that  is  trans- 
acted on  the  summit  of  Calvary,  and  they  will  receive 
an  impression  that  will  fill  them  with  adoring  wonder 
and  awe  !  As  they  fix  their  eye  on  that  scene,  they 
may  obtain  a  clearer  view  of  the  terrible  nature  of  sin 
— of  its  exceeding  sinfulness,  and  its  ill  desert, — than 
they  could  were  they  to  traverse  through  the  regions 
9* 


202  HOW    SIN    IS   TO   BE   TAKEN   AWAY. 

of  WO,  and  survey  the  deep  and  burning  caverns  of 
perdition.     Then,  ''  Behold  the  Lainh  of  God  /" 

3.  Again,  I  remark,  that  the  sacrifice  of  Christ 
shows  God's  abhorrence  of  sin.  In  the  Redeemer's 
sufferings  and  death,  we  can  see  something  of  the  de- 
merit and  hatefuhiess  of  sin.  God's  abhorrence  of 
sin  must,  in  all  cases,  be  proportioned  to  his  love  of 
goodness  :  and  as  his  love  of  goodness  is  infinite,  his 
abhorrence  of  sin  must  be  infinite.  Sin  is  calculated 
to  effect  an  infinite  evil.  Its  direct  tendency  is  to  sub- 
vert that  government,  which  is  designed  to  promote 
the  glory  of  God,  and  the  happiness  of  his  creatures. 
Ought  He  not  then  to  abhor  it  ? 

It  may  not  be  improper,  in  this  connection,  to  ob- 
serve, that  nothing  like  impulsive  rage,  spite,  or  re- 
venge, can  ever  find  a  jolace  in  the  bosom  of  the  glo- 
rious Jehovah.  He  views  sin  with  calm,  fixed,  pas- 
sionless, yet  with  dreadful  abhorrence.  As  long  as  he 
is  a  benevolent  Being  he  must  hate  sin.  NVnd  in  the 
death  of  Christ,  what  a  solemn  and  affecting  evidence 
we  have  that  he  does  abhor  sin  IV 

And  here  again  allow  me  to  recur  to  the  case  of  the 
King  of  the  Locrians  :  If  there  ever  could  have  oc- 
curred an  instance  in  which  he  could  have  excused 
the  breach  of  that  law,  which  he  had  caused  to  be 
enacted  and  enforced  with  such  tremendous  sanctions  ; 
if  there  ever  could  exist  circumstances  under  which 
he  would  have  been  inclined  to  have  overlooked  its 
violation  :  it  would  have  been  when  his  son  was  the 
offender.  So,  when  the  sins  of  our  race  were  laid 
upon  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  if  there  ever  could  be 
an  instance  where  Jehovah  could  look  upon  sin  with 


MOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY.  203 

any  allowance,  and  not  empty  upon  the  transgressor 
the  full  weight  of  his  wrath,  tliis  surely  was  that  in- 
stance. But  how  was  it  ?  Behold  Jesus  under  the 
weight  of  this  burden  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane  ! 
See  him  stretched  on  the  ground  in  agony  !  Behold 
those  crimson  drops  rolling  from  his  sacred  forehead  ! 
Behold  him  on  the  cross  !  The  Heavens  grow  dark  ! 
The  rocks  rend — the  graves  open — the  earth  quakes, 
and  he  cries  out  in  anguish  unutterable,  ''  My  God, 
my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  '?"  Oh,  how 
terrible  is  the  wrath  of  God  !  i^And  when  our  sins 
were  laid  upon  his  son,  he  did  not  spare  that  son  in 
the  least'^  He  had  to  tread  the  wine-press  of  Almighty 
wrath  alone  !  Behold  him  with  his  vesture  dipped  in 
blood  !  Listen  to  his  dying  groans  !  See  him  expir- 
ing in  agony  !  See  his  tears,  and  sweat,  and  blood ; 
and  then  you  can  form  some  faint  conception  of  God's 
dreadful  abhorrence  of  sin. 

And,  my  dear  hearer,  if  you  are  still  unconverted, 
remember  that  you  are  covered  all  over  with  sin. 
Your  whole  soul  is  spotted  Avith  those  sins  which  God 
abhors  !  Have  3^ou  not  reason  to  be  alarmed  ?  Oh, 
what  will  be  your  doom  in  the  hands  of  an  angry 
God  ?  "Tools  make  a  mock  at  sin  !  But  can  you  look 
upon  the  cross,  and  there  see  in  such  distinct  and  aw- 
ful colours  God's  terrible  abhorrence  of  sin,  and  then 
think  it  is  a  light  and  trifling  matter  !  You  may  seek 
to  turn  away  your  eye  from  this  appalling  truth  now, 
but  it  will  haunt  you  like  a  spectre  in  that  lonely  hour 
when  your  feet  begin  to  tread  down  the  sides  of  the 
dark  valley !  You  will  then  feel,  that  to  have  offend- 
ed^ and  broken  the  law  of  the  holy   and  ever-living 


204  HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY. 

God,  is  no  trifling  matter.  Perhaps  you  begin  to  feel 
this  now,  and  are  groaning  under  the  weight,  and  bit- 
ter remembrance  of  ten  thousand  unforgiven  sins  ;  and 
the  great  anxiety  of  your  soul  is  to  know  how  you 
may  be  pardoned.  If  so,  I  have  a  message  for  you  to- 
night. Look  up  to  the  cross,  "■  Behold  the  lamb  of 
God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 

4.  This  leads  me  to  remark  again  that  the  atoning 

\  sacrifice  of  Christ  strikingly  exhibits  the  mercy  of  God. 
"  The  Lamb  of  God  takes  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 
God  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself, 
not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them.  The  imma- 
culate Jesus  '''  was  made  sin  for  us,  that  we  might  be 
made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him."  No  tran- 
saction recorded  in  the  annals  of  eternity,  the  know- 
ledge of  which  has  travelled  down  to  our  earth,  pre- 
sents such  overwhelming  demonstrations  of  the  mercy, 
the  love,  and  compassion  of  the  great  and  infinite  God, 
as  the  death  of  his  Son  !  "  God  so  loved  the  world, 
that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  son,  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlast- 
ing life."  What  love — what  boundless  love  is  here  ! 
The  great  and  glorious  Jehovah  has  done  everything 
to  melt  down  human  obduracy,  and  win  man's  affec- 
tions :  and  the  sinner's  heart  must  be  harder  than  ada- 
mant, that  does  not  soften  and  relent  under  such  an 
announcement,  ^'  God  so  loved,"  &c.  Contemplate 
this  stupendous  display  of  divine  compassion  just  for 
one  moment. 

Rather  than  permit  us,  who  had  rebelled  against 
him,  and  rendered  ourselves  deserving  of  his  infinite 


% 

HOW    SIN    IS    TO    BE    TAKEN    AWAY.  205 

displeasure — rather  than  permit  us  vile,  guilty  worms 
of  the  dust  to  perish,  God  proposed  to. have  his  Son  die 
in  our  place.  That  blessed  Son  was  ready  to  under- 
take the  work.  Freely  did  he  offer  his  body  as  the 
victim  on  which  were  to  be  laid  all  our  transgressions. 
Freely  did  he  consent  to  drink  the  cup  of  death  in  our 
stead.  ^"€ik«erfully  "  did  he  suffer,  the  just  for  the  un- 
just, that  he  might  bring  us  to  God."  To  all,  there- 
fore, who  will  return  Avith  penitence,  and  submission, 
and  faith, to  the  feet  of  their  heavenly  Father,  the  bene- 
fits of  Christ's  atonement  will  be  so  applied,  that  their 
sins  will  all  be  blotted  out,  and  they  renewed  in  the 
divine  image,  and  enrolled  among  the  washed  and 
purified  children  of  the  Most  High.  Such  will  be 
justified  freely,  through  the  redemption  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus."  ''  Their  sins  and  iniquities  will  be  re- 
membered no  more."  They  will  be  no  longer  under 
condemnation;  they  will  have  peace  with  God, through 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

God  having  set  forth  his  son  to  be  a  propitiation 
through  faith  in  his  blood,  and  having  thereby  declared 
his  righteousness  for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are 
passed,  can  now  ''  be  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him  that 
believeth  in  Jesus."  Thus  we  see  that  He  has  ren- 
dered it  possible,  and  perfectly  consistent  with  the 
other  attributes  of  his  character,  to  extend  mercy  to  the 
penitent  and  believing  sinner.  Every  human  creature 
who  will  throw  down  the  weapons  of  his  rebellion, 
and  call  upon  God  for  mercy  through  the  atoning 
sacrifice  of  the  Redeemer,  may  immediately  cherish 
the  hope  that  his  sins  are  taken  away, — "  Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 


206  HOW   Sllf   IS   TO    BE   TAKEN   AWAY. 

There  are  several  important  practical  inferences  to 
be  deduced  from  the  doctrinal  truth  that  we  have  been 
exhibiting,  Avhich  will  form  the  basis  of  the  next  dis- 
course, to  be  delivered,  if  God  permits,  next  Sunday 
evening. 

We  have,  for  several  Sunday  evenings,  been  en- 
deavouring to  convince  our  unconverted  hearers  that 
they  are  very  sinful  in  the  sight  of  a  holy  God.  We 
have  shown  them,  from  the  testimony  of  God's  word, 
that  all  sin  merits  eternal  death  ;  that  the  Almighty 
himself  has  decreed  that  endless  destruction  shall  be 
the  doom  of  the  violators  of  his  law.  It  has,  therefore, 
been  demonstrated  that  they  must  perish  for  ever,  un- 
less divine  mercy  interpose  and  rescue  them  by  an  ex- 
pedient unknown  to  the  law.  In  the  present  discourse 
we  have  endeavoured  to  bring  out  distinctly  to  view 
this  expedient,  devised  by  God  himself  for  the  salvation 
of  sinners. 

The  great  question,  then,  which  I  have  to  press  on 
you,  my  unconverted  hearer,  is  :  Will  you  avail  your- 
self of  this  expedient?  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God, 
that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.^'<^^Jntil  you 
behold  the  Lamb  of  God  with  an  eye  of  faith,  your 
sins  cannot  be  forgiven  :  they  will  remain  registered 
in  the  book  of  God's  everlasting  remembrance.  They 
will  appear  against  you  in  the  great  day,  and  close 
the  door  of  heaven  upon  you.  They  will  bring  down 
upon  your  lost  and  guilty  soul  all  the  maledictions  of 
a  broken  law. 

Let  me  then  say  to  you  now,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin,"  &c.     He  can  take 


aoW    SIN    IS   TO   BE   TAKEN   AWAY.  207 

away  all  sin — even  the  sin  of  a  world.  He  can  pro- 
cure pardon  for  the  vilest  of  sinners.  There  is  no 
case  so  desperate  that  he  cannot  bring  relief  to  it.  He 
is  ready  to  take  away  your  sins  :  he  is  ready  to  seal 
your  pardon,  and  write  your  name  in  the  book  of  the 
living.     And  will  you  not  have  your  sins  taken  away  1 

You  cannot,  unless  you  turn  from  your  sins,  and 
humble  yourself  before  God.  You  cannot,  unless  you 
go  to  the  foot  of  the  cross  as  a  lost  and  perishing  sin- 
ner, confess  that  you  deserve  death,  and  implore  par- 
don and  life  through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  "  Be- 
hold (held  up  before  you)  the  Lamb  of  God,  that 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  If  you  perish, 
then,  in  view  of  the  dying,  Lamb  of  God,  the  guilt 
will  be  all  your  own.  If  you  will  live  and  die  in  your 
sins — if  you  will  go  to  the  judgment  bar  unpardoned, 
know  that  all  the  blame  rests  upon  you.  You  perish 
because  you  despise  :  because  you  will  not  avail  your- 
self of  the  rich  provisions  which  God  has  made  for 
your  salvation. 

''Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world."  Oh,  what  dreadful  insult  is  it  to 
Christ,  to  refuse  to  have  him  for  your  Saviour :  to  re- 
fuse to  be  washed  in  his  blood  :  to  refuse  to  allow  him 
to  take  away  your  sins.  This  is  the  guilt  of  every 
unconverted  man.  I  do  not  wonder  that  we  read  that 
the  unconverted  and  finally  impenitent  will  "  say  to 
the  mountains  and  rocks,  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from, 
the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  from  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb  ;  for  the  day  of  his  wrath  has  come, 
and  who  shall  be  able  to  standi"  That,  indeed,  will 
be  a  day  of  wrath  to  unconverted  sinners,  who  have 


208  HOW    SIN   IS   TO   BE   TAKEN   AWAY. 

have  despised  and  refused  the  riches  of  redeeming 
mercy  ;  and  how  will  they  be  able  to  stand  1  Oh, 
unconverted  man,  how  will  you  be  able  to  stand? 
Do  not  attempt  to  meet  the  burning  Avrath  of  Jehovah, 
but  now  while  you  may  behold  the  Lamb  of  God, 
go  to  him  that  is  able  to  take  away  your  sins,  and  be 
everlastingly  saved ! 


\ 


DISCOURSE  IX. 

IF   CHRIST  BE  REJECTED,  THERE  CAN  BE  NO  SALVATION. 

"  There  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins." 

Heb.  X.  2g; 

The  sacrifice  here  referred  to  is  the  one  to  which 
we  directed  your  attention  last  Sunday  evening — "  The 
Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  0/  the  world.'' 

It  was  then  shown  that  this  sacrifice  was  all-suflS- 
cient,  that  it  satisfied  the  claims  of  justice,  vindicated 
the  insulted  authority  of  God,  averted  the  curse  of 
a  broken  law,  brought  in  everlasting  righteousness, 
and  rendered  it  possible  for  "  God  to  be  just,  and  the 
justifier  of  him  that  believeth  in  Jesus." 

Christ  wrought  out  for  his  people,  by  his  obedience 
and  sufferings,  di  finished  salvation.  His  blood  cleanseth 
from  all  sin,  and  in  his  righteousness  believing  souls 
can  be  presented  at  last  faultless  before  the  throne. 
Hence  it  is  evident  that  we  are  ''  complete  in  him." 
There  is  nothing  necessary  for  the  everlasting  salvation 
of  a  dying  sinner,  but  to  look  at  the  cross,  to  '^  Behold 
the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world."     Let  any  sinner  on  this  globe  go  and  lay  the 


210  IF    CHRIST    BE    REJECTED, 

hand  of  faith  on  this  great  sacrifice,  and  all  his 
sins  shall  be  taken  away.  God  will  remember  them 
no  more  :  he  will  blot  them  for  ever  out  of  the  book 
of  his  remembrance. 

But  if  this  sacrifice  is  rejected,  there  is  no  other. 
If  men  will  not,  with  the  eye  of  faith,  "  Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world," 
''  There  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins."  If 
men  refuse  Christ,  and  go  away  from  him  who  alone 
''  hath  the  words  of  eternal  life,"  to  whom  can  they 
go*?  \''  There  is  salvation  in  no  other.  There  is  no 
other  name  under  heaven  given  amongst  men,  where- 
by we  must  be  saved." 

It  has  been  shown  in  the  preceding  discourse  that 
God,  in  setting  forth  his  son  as  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  hath 
made  the  most  ample  provision  for  removing  human 
guilt,  breaking  the  iron  fetters  of  sin,  recalling  the 
wanderer  to  the  path  of  obedience,  and  fitting  him  for 
divine  and  heavenly  bliss.  In  that  discourse  there 
was  presented  the  doctrinal  truth  of  the  atonement, 
and  several  of  its  obvious  moral  uses.  And  it  was 
then  intimated  that  several  practical  inferences  re- 
mained to  be  deduced,  which  would  form  the  basis  of 
the  present  discourse. 

1.  The  first  practical  observation  that  I  would  here 
offer,  suggested  by  contemplating  the  atoning  and  all- 
sufficient  sacrifice  of  Christ,  is  the  exceeding  folly  of  all 
those  who  neglect  to  embrace  the  remedy  here  pro- 
vided. One  principal  thing  which  keeps  impenitent 
and  unconverted  men  back  from  the  cross,  is  their 
pride — an  unwillingness  to  look  into  their  spiritual 
state,  and  know  exactly  how  the  matter  stands  be- 


THERE  CAN  BE  NO  SALVATION.        211 

tween  them  and  God.  It  is  under  this  particular  as- 
pect of  the  case  that  I  wish  here  to  point  out  the  folly 
of  those  who  neglect  to  embrace  the  great  remedy 
found  in  the  atoning  blood  of  Jesus. 

There  are  hundreds  that  visit  the  sanctuary  of  God, 
that  have  a  fearful  apprehension  tliat  all  is  not  right 
between  them  and  their  Maker,  who  yet  neater  sat 
down  seriously  to  examine  how  desperate  their  case  is. 
When  they  look  up  and  behold  the  Lamb  of  God  on 
the  cross,  they  see  that  sin  must  be  awfully  offensive 
to  the  Most  High.  They  know  that  they  are  sinners, 
bnt  they  dare  not  look  within,  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  full  extent  of  their  sinfulness.  Such  a 
course  is  most  unwise.  Even  in  worldly  affairs  a 
course  of  procedure  like  this  is  sure  to  lead  to  ruin. 
A  striking  instance,  illustrative  of  the  truth  of  this  re- 
mark, is  now  present  to  my  recollection. 

Many  years  since,  in  a  large  and  flourishing  vil- 
lage that  stood  on  the  banks  of  one  of  the  beauti- 
ful western  lakes,  resided  a  merchant  of  high 
standing,  and  great  influence.  He  had  been  one  of 
the  early  settlers  in  that  western  world,  and  was  sup- 
posed to  possess  immense  wealth.  His  property  had 
been  acquired  by  persevering  toil,  and  unwearied  in- 
dustry. And  still,  though  to  all  appearance  he  was 
rolling  in  affluence,  he  rose  early,  and  sat  up  late, 
and  toiled  incessantly  to  amass  earthly  treasure.  As 
I  have  already  remarked,  this  man  was  reputed  to  be 
immensely  wealthy.  As  his  pecuniary  means  increas- 
ed, he  extended  his  business.  This  circumstance, 
although  it  was  ultimately  the  cause  of  his  ruin,  at 
the  time  increased  public  confidence  :  for  it  was  sup- 
posed that  one  so  prudent   and   calculating  as   he, 


212  IP   CHRIST   BE    REJECTED, 

would  run  no  risk,  nor  engage  in  any  Quixotic  enter- 
prise. 

So  high  did  he  stand  in  the  public  esteem,  as  a  man 
of  wealth,  and  incorruptible  probity,  that  the  more 
prudent  farmers  around  him,  who  had  small  sums  of 
money  to  loan — widows  who  had  just  a  little  pittance 
left  them  on  which  to  subsist,  and  many  of  the  labour- 
ing class  of  people,  who,  by  their  industry  sind  econo- 
my, had  laid  aside  a  little  for  a  day  of  future  want, 
instead  of  depositing  their  money  in  the  bank,  or  in- 
vesting it  in  stock,  put  it  into  his  hands  as  a  place 
beyond  the  reach  of  accident.  Vast  sums  of  money 
had  thus  been  committed  to  him  in  trust. 

But  all  this  time  he  was  a  bankrupt !  No  one  knew 
it  but  himself,  and  he  would  not  permit  himself  to 
think  of  it  for  a  single  moment.  It  was  a  painful 
subject,  and  he  kept  it  constantly  in  abeyance. 

Though  causes  were  at  work  which  must  infallibly 
disclose  the  fatal  secret,  and  wrest  from  him  all  his 
possessions,  he  would  never  suffer  himself  to  dwell 
upon  this  thought  a  moment.  He  kept  on,  calmly 
prosecuting  his  plans,  but  steadily  averting  his  eye 
from  events,  which  he  knew  must  inevitably  involve 
him  in  irrecoverable  disaster.  Had  he  looked  the 
danger  in  the  face,  and  been  willing  to  have  surren- 
dered his  property  at  an  earlier  period,  he  might  have 
avoided  a  final  shipwreck.  But  from  the  commence- 
ment, the  subject  was  a  painful  one,  and  he  instinc- 
tively shrunk  from  examining  it.  His  wish  was  to 
put  off  as  far  as  possible  the  evil  day,  hoping  that 
some  happy  occurrence  in  the  mean  time  might  ex- 
tricate him  from  the  embarrassment  in  which  he  was 
involved.      But  this  was   absolutely  hoping  against 


THERE  CAN  BE  NO  SALVATION.        213 

hope.  Every  movement  he  made,  involved  him  deep- 
er in  difficuUy. 

The  widow  and  the  fatherless  still  came  to  him  to  de- 
posit their  little  all  in  his  hands.  Though  conscience 
stung  him,  he  had  not  moral  courage,  or  moral  honesty 
enough  to  tell  them,  to  keep  their  money ^  for  they  were 
casting  it  into  a  great  maelstrom^  which  would  swal- 
low it  all  up,  and  they  would  never  see  it  more. 

The  evil  day  at  length  came  !  His  house  fell,  and 
great  was  the  fall  of  it !  Himself  and  hundreds  of 
others  were  crushed  beneath  its  ruins  :  and  all  this 
because  he  was  not  willing  to  meet  the  difficulty  in 
its  incipient  stages — before  it  was  for  ever  to  late. 

The  unconverted  sinner  is  acting  just  such  a  part. 
He  is  a  bankrupt.  He  owes  an  immense  debt  to  Je- 
hovah, and  has  nothing  to  pay.  God  is  calling  him 
to  a  settlement,  but  he  turns  away  and  utterly  refuses 
to  look  at  the  state  of  his  affairs.  Though  he  knows 
things  are  now  very  bad,  and  are  growing  worse,  and 
worse  every  hour,  yet  he  turns  away  his  thoughts 
from  the  subject,  and  fixes  them  upon  something  else. 
Like  that  conscious  bankrupt,  he  puts  off  the  evil  day! 
But  the  evil  day  will  come,  and  then  he  will  find 
himself  ruined  for  ever. 

The  great  folly  of  this  conduct  consists  in  men's 
neglecting  or  rejecting  the  only  remedy  that  can 
bring  relief  to  their  case. 

The  unconverted  sinner  has  contracted  immense 
debts,  and  he  has  nothing  to  pay.  How  can  he  stand 
before  his  Great  Creditor,  who  will  exact  of  him  the 
whole  amount,  and  if  he  cannot  meet  the  demand, 
will  shut  him  up  in  the  dark  prison-house  of  despair 
until  he  has  paid  the  uttermost  farthing  ? 


214  IF    CHRIST    BE    REJECTED, 

Is  it  not  wise  for  my  unconverted  hearer  to  consid- 
er this  question  7  Surely  it  is  not  wise  to  push  this 
question  out  of  sight !  It  is  better  to  meet  it  now, 
than  when  you  stand  arraigned  at  the  judgment !  Can 
you  answer  for  one  of  a  thousand  of  your  sins  1  Can 
you  go  to  the  judgment  bar,  and  render  up  there  such 
a  reason  as  will  satisfy  God,  and  secure  your  acquit- 
tal ?  If  God  be  strict  to  mark  what  is  done  amiss — if 
he  will  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty,  unconverted 
friend,  is  not  your  case  a  desperate  one?  For  one 
moment,  consider  the  number,  and  enormity,  and 
aggravations  of  3"our  sins — how  ungrateful  you  have 
been  ! — what  insult  you  have  offered  to  Jehovah,  and 
how  remorselessly  you  have  trampled  upon  his  law  ! 
What  will  you  do  ?  You  deserve  to  die.  Justice 
demands  your  blood !  The  penalty  of  the  violated 
law  hangs  over  you.  Oh,  sinner,  how  will  you  escape? 
There  is  one  way — one  door  of  escape — ''  Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 
But  if  you  will  not  lay  hold  of  this  hope  set  before 
you — if  you  will  not  look  into  3^our  own  heart,  and 
see  how  desperate  your  case  is,  and  fly  to  the  cross  for 
refuge,  if  you  neglect,  or  turn  awa}^  from  this  great 
atoning  sacrifice ;  then  your  ruin  is  inevitable — 
"  there  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins." 

2.  And  this  leads  me  to  remark,  Secondly^  upon  the 
folly  of  those  who  find  in  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  a  rea- 
son for  delaying  their  repentance — who  convert  this 
highest  display  of  divine  mercy  into  a  fatal  rock,  on 
which  to  wreck  their  never-dying  souls. 

God  having  enacted  a  holy  law,  enforced  it  with  a 
tremendous  penalty.     That  law  was  broken,  and  the 


THERE  CAN  BE  NO  SALVATION.        215 

penalty  incurred.  But,  instead  of  inflicting  the 
threatened  punishment — instead  of  allowing  the  sin- 
ner to  abide  by  the  consequences  of  his  sin — instead 
of  sending  down  the  whole  race  into  the  regions  of 
wo  and  darkness — the  Eternal  One  devised  an  ex- 
pedient by  which  every  soul  of  man  could  be  saved. 

Now  the  effect  of  this  divine  interposition  upon 
some  hearts,  has  been  to  harden  them  still  more  in 
sin — to  confirm  them  in  the  opinion  that  it  would  not 
have  been  right  in  God  to  have  punished  them  with 
endless  death  ;  and  also  to  inspire  them  with  the 
secret  hope  that,  live  or  die  as  they  may,  God  will 
contrive  some  way,  in  consistency  with  his  own 
honour,  to  rescue  them  from  endless  ruin.  The  very 
circumstance  that  God  gave  his  own  son  as  a  ransom 
for  sinners,  instead  of  melting  down  their  hard  and 
impenitent  hearts,  and  leading  them  to  an  immediate 
return  to  the  feet  of  their  injured  and  insulted  hea- 
venly Father,  has  only  tended  to  strengthen  them  in 
the  belief  that  God's  mercy  is  so  great,  that  he  will 
save  them  in  some  way  or  other  at  last.  This  display 
of  divine  mercy  makes  them  presume  upon  God's 
mercy,  and  leads  them  secretly  to  conclude  that  even 
if  they  do  not  repent,  and  are  not  converted.  He  will 
find  out  some  way  to  save  them  from  going  down  to 
hell.  This  is  one  of  the  most  subtle  delusions  of  the 
devil :  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  if  the  feelings  of  un- 
converted men  were  analyzed  and  laid  open,  it  would 
be  found  that  there  Avere  many  cherishing  this  secret 
hope,  and,  by  means  of  it,  resisting  all  the  appeals 
which  can  be  made  to  them.  Let  me  say,  however, 
it  is  a  hope  that  will  perish  and  vanish  away  like 
smoke  in  the  day  when  God  riseth  up  to  judgment. 


216  IF    CHRIST    BE    REJECTED, 

There  is  no  salvation  for  sinners,  without  the  remis- 
sion of  sins  ;  and  there  is  no  remission  of  sins  without 
the  sliedding  of  blood.  The  only  blood  that  can  take 
away  sins  is  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  If  men  reject 
this,  "  there  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins." 
But  all  impenitent  and  unconverted  men  refuse  to 
"  behold,"  with  the  eye  of  faith,  "  the  Lamb  of  God, 
that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  They  refuse 
to  go  to  Christ,  and  embrace  him  as  their  Saviour. 
They  virtually  reject  his  atonement.  They  do  not 
rest  their  souls  on  it.  They  are  seeking  for  themselves 
some  other  ground  of  acceptance.  But  the  text  de- 
clares that  they  who  reject  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  have 
nothing  else  to  look  to — that  there  is  no  other  blood 
to  wash  away  their  sins — no  other  means  of  pardon — 
no  other  expedient  of  deliverance.  All  that  such 
have  to  expect,  is  a  '^  certain^  fearful  looking-for  of 
judgment^  and  fiery  indignation  which  shall  devour  the 
adversaries.^"^ 

This  is  the  decision  of  God  himself — if  men  will 
not  be  converted,  and  embrace  the  Saviour,  as  God 
is  true,  they  wiU  perish  for  ever !  This  is  the  very 
inference  which  we  are  constrained  to  draw  from 
contemplating  Christ  on  the  cross. 

As  you  turn  your  eye  to  Calvary,  and  behold  there 
that  scene  of  agony  and  death,  you  can  form  some 
faint  idea  of  what  will  be  the  transgressor's  punish- 
ment through  the  wasteless  ages  of  eternity  ! 

If  God  did  not  spare  his  own  Son  when  the  sinner's 
sins  were  laid  on  him,  will  He  spare  that  sinner^  if  he 
still  continues  impenitent  and  rebellious — still  refuses 
to  submit  to  Jehovah  1  If  it  was  not  consistent  with 
the  glory,  and  integrity,  and  immutable  principles  of 


THERE  CAN  BE  NO  SALVATION.        217 

the  divine  government,  to  pardon  sin  without  exhibit- 
ing such  an  expression  of  the  divine  displeasure  and 
utter  abhorrence  of  it,  as  was  witnessed  in  the  igno- 
minious and  painful  death  of  Jesus  Christ,  can  it  be 
supposed  that  God  will  ever  pass  an  act  of  pardon 
upon  any  human  transgressor,  as  long  as  he  refuses 
to  embrace  this  atoning  sacrifice  by  an  act  of  humble 
and  heartfelt  submission  to  God  1 

How  does  such  a  supposition  degrade  the  character 
and  tarnish  the  brightness  of  the  mediatorial  work  of 
Christ ! — as  though  the  pure  and  holy  Jesus,  by  his 
sacrificial  death,  had  procured  a  sort  of  general  jail- 
delivery — had  provided  for  the  unhumbled  and  un- 
subdued transgressor  the  right  and  privilege  of  diso- 
bedience!— a  sort  of  plenary  indulgence  ! — a  general 
permit  to  go  and  sin  to  the  utmost  with  impunity  ! 

Turn  your  eye  to  Calvary,  and  you  will  read  ano- 
ther truth  written  there  in  awful  characters.  Behold 
the  sacrifice  that  is  lifted  up  there,  and  you  will  see 
that  you  must  renounce  your  rebellion,  or  sink  down 
under  the  weight  of  everlasting  wrath. 

Never !  never,  till  you  have  made  th-e  word  of  God 
false — never !  never,  till  you  have  overturned  the 
w^hole  empire  of  God,  can  you  press  your  way  into 
heaven,  impenitent  and  unpardoned.  You  must  be 
born  again,  or  lie  down  in  everlasting  sorrow.  There 
is  no  other  way  to  the  gates  of  the  celestial  paradise, 
but  that  new  and  living  way  which  has  been  opened 
and  consecrated  by  the  blood  of  Jesus.  If  you  will 
not  walk  in  this  way,  where  God  and  Christ  is  you 


3.  A  third  practical  remark  which  I  would  here 
10 


218  IF    CHRIST    BE    REJECTED, 

offer  isj  that  the  atonement  of  Christ  takes  away  all 
excuse  from  the  sinner. 

The  Saviour  remarks,  in  relation  to  those  around 
him,  who  continued  impenitent  and  unbelieving  :  ^'  If 
I  had  not  come  and  spoken  unto  them,  they  had  not 
had  sin ;  but  now  they  have  no  cloak  for  their  sin. 
He  that  hateth  me,  hateth  my  Father  also.  If  I  had 
not  done  among  them  the  works  which  none  other 
man  did,  they  had  not  had  sin  :  but  now  they  have 
both  seen  and  hated  both  me  and  my  Father."  He 
is  speaking  particularly  here  of  their  rejecting  him  as 
a  Saviour  and  a  sacrifice  for  sin. 

With  truth  may  it  be  said  of  all  to  whom  the  gospel 
is  preached,  "  they  have  no  cloak  for  their  sin."  If 
men  do  not  repent,  and  turn  to  God,  and  embrace  the 
offers  of  life,  they  are  utterly  without  excuse. 

In  the  act  of  redemption,  the  most  ample  provision 
was  made  for  all  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  human 
race.  The  Lamb  of  God  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world.  Christ  ''  tasted  death  for  every  man."  Sal- 
vation is  brought  within  the  reach  of  every  human 
creature.  There  is  no  hard  or  difficult  service  de- 
manded at  our  hand.  We  are  not  required  ''to  do 
some  great  thing."  We  are  not  commanded  to  go 
on  a  long  and  painful  pilgrimage.  We  are  not  re- 
quired to  pass  through  a  fiery  ordeal  of  self-imposed 
suffering,  and  the  rigours  of  corporeal  penance.  We 
are  only  to  look  to  the  cross,  as  the  Jews  did  to  the 
brazen  serpent,  and  we  shall  be  healed.  We  have 
only  to  behold,  with  an  eye  of  penitence  and  faith, 
the  hand  of  God,  and  our  sins  will  all  be  taken  away. 
We  have  only  to  walk  by  the  Saviour's  side,  and 
copy  his  example,  and  allow  him  to  spread  over  us 


THERE  CAN  BE  NO  SALVATION.        219 

the  Stainless  robe  of  his  righteousness,  and  God  will 
look  upon  us  with  everlasting  favour.  Oh  !  is  not  the 
yoke  easy,  and  the  burden  light? 

What  excuse  can  the  sinner  have  ?  The  number  or 
enormity  of  any  man^s  sins  will  not  stand  in  the  way  of 
sharing  in  the  riches  of  free  grace  :  there  is  an  infinite 
fullness  in  Christ.  That  we  have  sinned  ever  so  much, 
ever  so  heinously,  ever  so  long,  is  no  barrier  in  the  way 
of  pardon  ;  because  ''  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleans- 
eth  from  all  sin.^^  In  that  fountain,  open  for  sin  and 
uncleanness,  the  very  chief  of  sinners  may  wash  and 
be  clean.  Even  the  murderers  and  bloody  perse- 
cutors of  the  Son  of  God  can  be  pardoned  through  his 
atoning  sacrifice.  "  Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet, 
they  can  here  be  made  white  as  snow ;  and  though 
they  be  red,  like  crimson,  they  can  here  be  made  as 
wool." 

Unconverted  sinner,  then,  why  do  you  delay  1 
Look  up  to  the  cross  !  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.  He  is  ready  to 
take  away  all  thy  sins.  This  is  the  only  place  to 
which  thou  canst  fly  for  refuge.  There  is  no  other 
door  of  escape.  ''  There  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice 
for  sins."  The  cross — the  cross  is  thy  only  hope  ! 
Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  !  Look  upon  him  now  as 
thy  Saviour,  and,  from  this  moment,  give  him  thy 
whole  heart.  Renounce  all  other  dependence. 
What  is  your  own  righteousness  but  a  broken  reed  1 
what  is  it  but  filthy  rags,  which  will  only  expose 
your  nakedness,  and  make  you  ashamed  in  the  day 
of  God  1  Shrink  not  from  self-inspection.  God  sees 
you,  and  knows  the  full  extent  of  your  guilt.  Be 
willing  to  see  yourself  in  the  light  in  which  He  views 


2^0  IF    CHRIST    BE    REJECTED, 

you.  Look  at  the  long  list  of  sins  that  are  written 
down  on  the  pages  of  memory.  Do  not  shut  your 
eyes  upon  them ;  you  will  have  to  look  at  them  one 
day  !  Oh  !  how  will  they  appear,  when  you  stand  at 
His  tribunal ! — Avhen  the  liglit  that  cannot  be  shut 
out  will  be  thrown  in  upon  the  memory  and  con- 
science, and  each  transgression  shall  come  forth  from 
its  secret  slumbering  place,  as  a  witness  against  you  I 
In  that  hour,  there  will  be  ''  no  place  for  repentance, 
though  you  seek  it  carefully  and  with  tears. '^  In 
that  hour,  there  will  be  held  up  before  you  no  Lamb 
of  God  to  take  away  your  sins" — ^' there  will  then 
remain  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins,  but  a  certain  fearful 
looking  for  of  judgment  and  fiery  indignation." 

Contemplate,  then,  now,  I  entreat  you,  your  sins, 
and  look  to  Calvary  for  deliverance.  There  you  will 
behold  a  sacrifice  all-sufiicient ;  and  it  is  the  only 
sacrifice  that  will  avail.  There ^  in  that  meek  and 
dying  Lamb  of  God,  fellow  sinner,  is  your  only  hope. 
There  is  salvation  in  none  other.  He  must  take  away 
your  sins,  or  you  will  feel  their  intolerable  weight 
through  eternity  !  He  is  able  to  take  off  the  burden, 
and  to  cleanse  your  guilt.  He  is  able  to  save,  unto 
the  uttermost,  all  that  come  unto  God  by  him.  He 
is  ready  and  willing  to  receive  you. 

"  From  the  cross,  uplifted  high, 
Where  the  Saviour  deigns  to  die, 
What  melodious  sounds  I  hear, 
Bursting  on  my  ravished  ear ! 
Love's  redeeming  work  is  done. 
Come,  and  welcome,  sinner,  come." 

Yea,  from  the  cross  of  Calvary,  even  now,  a  voice 
of  heavenly  invitation  reaches  your  ear :    it  is  the 


THERE  CAN  BE  NO  SALVATION.        221 

voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  addressed  to  you,  saying, 
"  Come,  now,  let  us  reason  together  :  though  your 
^ins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  white  as  snow ;  and 
though  they  be  red,  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as 
wool.'' 

Trembling,  mourning  sinner !  look  up,  and  behold 
the  cross  of  Christ !  On  that  cross  your  pardon  is 
written  in  letters  of  blood  !  Only  embrace  this  sacri- 
fice by  faith,  only  fix  a  believing  eye  on  the  Lamb  of 
God,  and  your  sins  will  be  blotted  out  this  moment. 
Only  fix  your  believing  regards  on  the  crucified  Re- 
deemer, and  look  up  to  the  cross  with  a  simple  reli- 
ance on  his  blood,  and  with  the  feeling  of  the  publican 
when  he  cried,  ''  God  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner," 
and,  even  while  I  speak,  God's  truth  is  pledged  that 
your  transgressions  shall  be  removed  as  far  from  you 
as  the  east  is  from  the  west. 

Embrace  this  sacrifice  now.  Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God  710W,  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  now. 
For  now  God  invites — now  the  sacrifice  bleeds — now 
the  Spirit  whispers,  "  sinner,  come.^^ 

Oh  !  look,  and  live.  Wait  not  another  moment. 
There  is  balm  in  Gilead,  and  a  physician  there : — 
balm  to  heal  all  your  wounds — medicine  to  cure  all 
your  sickness.  You  can  never  make  yourself  better  ; 
you  must  come  to  this  physician,  or  die.  Every 
moment  you  delay,  you  are  growing  worse — your 
disease  is  becoming  more  inveterate  and  incurable. 

Wait  for  no  qualifications.  You  can  never  make 
yourself  any  holier,  till  you  come  to  Christ.  Every 
moment  you  delay,  you  are  becoming  more  guilty  and 
polluted.    You  can  do  nothing  but  fall  down  in  despair 


222  IF    CHRIST   BE    REJECTED, 

at  the  feet  of  God,  and  looking  at  the  bleeding  Lamb, 
cry,  ''Lord,  save,  or  I  perish." 

If  you  will  thus  fix  an  eye  of  faith  on  the  bleeding  Sa- 
viour, your  sins  shall  be  quickly  blotted  out.  "  Believe 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved." 
Christ  himself  invites  you  :  ''  Come  unto  me,  all  ye 
that  are  weary  and  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
rest.^^ — "  Him  that  cometh  unto  me,  I  will  in  nowise 
cast  out." — "The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say  come; 
and  let  him  that  heareth  say  come  :  and  let  him  that 
is  athirst  come  :  and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the 
water  of  life  freely." — "  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth, 
come  ye  to  the  waters  :  and  he  that  hath  no  money, 
come  ye,  buy  and  eat :  yea,  come,  buy  wine  and 
milk,  without  money,  and  without  price." — "  Look 
unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth." 

After  such  invitations,  what  sinner  on  this  earth 
can  urge  any  excuse  for  not  going  immediately 
to  the  feet  of  the  Saviour?  Unconverted  hearer, 
what  is  your  decision  7  Will  you  have  this  Christ, 
or  no  ? 

"  Once  more  we  ask  you,  in  his  name. 
For  yet  his  love  remains  the  same. 
Say,  will  you  to  Mount  Zion  go  ? 
Say,  will  you  have  this  Christ,  or  no  ?"' 

4.  This  leads  me  to  remark  again,  that  the  guilt  of 
the  finally  impenitent  will  be  inconceivably  aggravat- 
ed, by  the  neglected  and  rejected  atonement  of  Christ. 
I  can  conceive  of  no  act  that  could  augment  the  guilt, 
and  enhance  the  condemnation  of  a  sinner  so  fear- 
fully as  a  voluntary  continuance  in  sin,  after  all  that 
has  been  done  for  his  rescue  and  redemption  by  the 


THERE  CAN  BE  NO  SALVATION.        223 

great  God  of  Heaven.  As  we  have  already  seen, 
there  is  now  no  excuse.  The  way  is  entirely  open. 
The  sinner  has  only  to  lay  the  hand  of  faith  on  the 
great  sacrifice,  and  his  salvation  is  secured.  ''  Who- 
soever believeth  on  him  shall  not  come  into  condem- 
nation." 

How  could  the  Eternal  One  have  appealed  to  us 
more  tenderly  ?  Now  could  he  have  placed  before  us 
stronger  or  more  constraining  motives  ?  He  has  given 
his  Son  to  die  for  us  ! ! !  Our  situation  is  one  full  of 
peril.  We  are  standing  on  the  brink  of  ruin,  hanging 
by  a  single  hair  over  the  deep  gulf  of  perdition. 
Christ  comes  and  offers  to  deliver  us  ;  to  rescue  us 
from  danger,  and  to  bear  the  punishment  that  is  due 
to  our  sins  !  JYoiu,  if  we  refuse  this  offer,  how  certain, 
how  inevitable  will  be  our  destruction  !  "  He  that  be- 
lieveth not  is  condemned  already,  because  he  hath  not 
believed  in  the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God." 
To  them  who  neglect,  or  reject  the  salvation  procured 
by  the  Son  of  God,  ''  There  remaineth  no  more  sacri- 
fice for  sins,  but  a  certain  fearful  looking  for  of  judg- 
ment, and  of  fiery  indignation." 

If  God  spared  not  his  own  Son,  when  he  stood  in 
the  place  of  the  sinner,  will  he  spare  the  sinner  who 
goes  on  in  rebellion,  and  appears  even  at  the  judg- 
ment bar  unsubdued  ?  No  !  The  trampled  blood  of 
Christ  will  rise  up  at  that  judgment  bar  to  overwhelm 
him  with  condemnation.  Oh,  the  guilt  of  having  des- 
pised and  rejected  the  salvation  that  was  earned  with 
the  sweat,  and  tears,  and  toil,  and  blood  of  God's  own 
Son  !  Who  can  conceive  its  extent  ?  Who  will  escape 
that  neglects  this  great  salvation  1 

''  The  Lord  is  slow  to  anger,  and  great  in  power,  and 


224  IF    CHRIST    BE    REJECTED, 

will  not  at  all  acquit  the  wicked.  The  Lord  hath  his 
way  in  the  whirlwind,  and  in  the  storm,  and  the 
clouds  are  the  dust  of  his  feet.  The  mountains  quake 
at  him,  and  the  hills  melt,  and  the  earth  is  burned  at 
his  presence  :  Yea,  the  world,  and  all  that  dwell 
therein.  Who  can  stand  before  his  indignation,  and 
who  can  abide  in  the  fierceness  of  his  anger  1  His 
fury  is  poured  out  like  fire,  and  the  rocks  are  thrown 
down  by  him." 

Unconverted  hearer,  this  is  the  God  whom  you  have 
to  meet,  and  before  whom  you  refuse  to  bow  ! !  Oh, 
will  you  not  accept  the  pardon  so  freely  tendered  you  1 
Will  you  not  accept  it  now  ? 

Perhaps  I  am  addressing  some  unconverted  persons 
who  have  turned  away  from  the  only  sacrifice  for 
many  years  :  have  grown  old  and  grey-headed  in  im- 
penitence, and  are  here  to-night,  unconverted,  and  in 
their  sins  !  My  dear  friends,  do  you  think  you  have 
any  time  to  lose  1  There  is  but  a  hand's  breadth  be- 
tween you  and  the  grave,  and  here  you  are  in  your 
sins  :  while  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  is  still  neglected  and 
rejected!  Oh,  if  you  would  meet  God  in  peace;  if 
you  would  go  down  to  your  graves  in  hope,  delay  not 
another  moment ;  reach  forth  the  hand  of  faith,  and 
lay  it  on  the  head  of  your  Redeemer ;  for,  be  well 
assured,  that  there  remaineth  no  other  sacrifice  for 
sins. 

Are  there  not  many  unconverted  persons  here  this 
evening,  who  have  been  attending  this  series  of  dis- 
courses ?  And  among  these,  are  there  not  some,  who 
feel  anxious  about  their  salvation  ?  Although  I  pur- 
pose to  address  you  in  one  or  two  additional  discours- 


THERE  CAN  BE  NO  SALVATION.        225 

es,  allow  me  to  address  a  single  word  of  counsel  to 
you  now,  who  have  been  led  to  feel  under  the  hearing- 
of  the  truth.  Put  yourselves  in  the  way  of  cherishing 
and  retaining  the  good  impressions  that  have  been 
made  by  conversing  with  your  pastor,  by  examining 
your  own  heaVt,  by  reading  the  Scriptures,  by  retire- 
ment and  prayer,  and,  above  all,  by  casting  yourselves 
«,t  once  on  the  arm  of  your  Saviour.  May  God  Al- 
mighty give  you  grace  to  do  so. 


10* 


DISCOURSE  X, 

THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION, 

*'  And  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely." 

Rev.  xxii.  17. 

The  history  of  the  world  proves  that  ''  TJie  Lord 
reigns. ^^  Events  do  not  happen  here  by  chance. 
There  is  an  unseen  hand  that  guides,  and  overrules 
all.  The  Saviour  ''  knows  his  sheep,''  He  knows 
who  are  striving  to  serve  and  please  him.  Though 
temporal  calamities  sometimes  gather  thick  around 
them,  he  beholds  them  with  sympathetic  eye  and 
parental  tenderness  ;  and  so  orders  things  that  their 
very  sufferings  will  ultimately  contribute,  not  only  to 
their  own  spiritual  well-being,  but  to  his  glory,  and 
the  good  of  the  human  race. 

There  is  great  point  and  truth  in  the  remark,  that 
"  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the  Church." 
Every  persecution  that  has  come  upon  the  Church, 
since  the  holy  and  heavenly  minded  Stephen  fell  be- 
neath the  murderous  hands  of  his  countrymen,  has 
only  tended  to  roll  on  with  increased  speed,  the  wheels 
of  the  Redeemer's  chariot. 


THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION.  227 

The  act  of  the  Roman  Emperor,  who  banished  "  the 
disciple  whom  Jesus  loved^^  to  the  ocean  rock  of  the 
CycLides,  was,  under  God,  the  means  of  contributing 
to  the  increase  of  that  heavenly  light,  which  had  be- 
gun to  dawn  upon  a  darkened  world.  While  ban- 
ished to  that  lone  isle,  and  sentenced  to  labor  in  the 
mines,  there  was  revealed  to  him  such  a  view  of  hea- 
ven, and  the  glories  of  the  upper  world,  as  not  only 
bore  him  up  under  all  his  trials,  but  has  ministered 
comfort  to  thousands,  who  in  each  successive  age  have 
been  pressing  on  to  join  the  innumerable  company 
that  stand  before  the  throne !  No  preceding  writer 
had  given  such  bright  and  vivid  sketches  of  the 
employment,  and  worship,  and  scenery  of  heaven. 
While  we  look  at  these  sketches,  we  seem  almost  to 
see  the  river  of  life  rolling  along  beneath  the  ambrosial 
trees  that  stand  on  its  bank,  and  to  hear  the  tread  of 
that  "great  multitude,  which  no  man  can  number," 
as  they  advance,  clothed  in  white,  with  victor-palms 
in  their  hands,  and  lift  up  their  voice,  saying,  "  Sal- 
vation to  our  God,  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and 
unto  the  Lamb." 

By  means  of  this  wonderful  vision,  which  the  Spirit 
of  the  living  God  spread  before  the  astonished  eye  of 
this  disciple,  we  seem  to  get  a  nearer  and  more  pro- 
found view  of  that  heavenly  world,  where  all  is  pure, 
and  bright,  and  serene,  and  cloudless,  and  where  sin 
never  fixed  one  dark  stain  of  defilement.  On  the  sum- 
mit of  the  heavenly  mount  is  the  throne  of  God,  and 
the  Lamb,  and  around  it  ten  thousand  golden  harps 
of  undying  melody.  But  the  heaven  wiiich  the  Reve- 
lation of  St.  John  opens  to  our  view,  is  a  holy  heaven. 
Every  part  of  it  is  full  of  the  holy  presence  of  God  and 


228  THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION. 

Christ.  ^'  The  choral  anthem  of  the  skies,"  is  the 
song  which  has  for  its  burden  the  atoning  blood  of 
eChrist.  And  as  the  apocalyptic  vision  opens  to  us  a 
view  of  the  redeemed  in  heaven,  where  Christ  is  all 
and  in  all,  so  in  the  more  didactic  parts  of  the  book 
which  contains  this  vision,  Christ  is  exhibited  as  the 
only  way  by  which  sinners  can  reach  that  glorious 
heaven. 

The  verse  from  which  our  text  is  taken  declares  the 
infinite  freeness  and  fulness  of  the  salvation  which  is 
in  Christ.  This  salvation  is  here  metaphorically  de- 
nominated '^  The  water  of  life, ^^  The  unqualified  as- 
sertion is  made,  that  whosoever  will,  may  come  and 
take  of  this  freely.  ''  Whosoever  will,  let  him  take 
of  the  water  of  life  freely."  The  question  here 
very  naturally  arises,  how  shall  a  sinner  take  of  this 
water  of  life  ?     What  shall  he  do  ? 

I  am  led  to  believe  that  the  discussion  of  this  ques- 
tion will  be  listened  to  with  interest,  from  the  fact  that 
I  know  that  there  are  some,  and  I  hope  their  number 
is  not  a  few,  now  in  the  congregation,  who  are  deeply 
anxious  "  to  know  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved." 

Will  not  a  prayer,  like  a  cloud  of  incense,  go  up 
from  many  hearts  in  this  congregation  theuy  while  I 
try  to  point  out  the  difiiculties  in  the  sinner's  way  to 
God,  and  show  him  how  he  may  overcome  them  ? 
Oh,  let  me  speak  to-night,  with  the  cloud  of  God's 
presence  resting  On  my  head.  Let  me  stand  under 
the  outstretched  wings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  lift  up 
my  voice  to  tell  sinners  how  to  go  to  Christ.  And 
may  the  Eternal  Spirit  take  of  the  things  of  Christ 
and  show  them  unto  them.  "  Whosoever  will,  let 
him  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely." 


THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION.  229 

Before  I  proceed  to  a  particular  exposition  of  the 
text,  I  would  remark,  that  we  must  understand  ^'  this 
water  of  life,' ^  this  eternal  salvation  which  we  need, 
to  be  in  Christ ,  and  nowhere  else.  In  our  last  two  dis- 
courses, we  showed  that  Christ  was  "  The  Lamb  of 
God,  appointed  to  take  away  the  sin  of  the  world," 
and  that  there  was  no  other  sacrifice  ;  that  if  we  re- 
jected or  neglected  him,  we  should  be  undone  for  ever. 
To  take  of  the  water  of  life,  therefore,  is  to  go  to 
Christ,  and  to  receive  salvation  at  his  hands. 

Now  to  illustrate  this  idea,  suppose  that  a  person 
of  great  distinction,  wealth,  influence  and  power, 
were  to  come  to  this  country,  and  we  desired  to  enjoy 
his  friendship,  and  obtain  from  him  a  distinguished 
favour.  How  would  we  set  ourselves  about  accom- 
plishing this  object?  Would  we  not  seek  an  early 
opportunity  to  be  introduced  to  him  ?  Would  we  not 
seize  upon  the  earliest  occasion  to  signify  to  him  our 
wishes '? 

Supposing  that  previous  to  any  personal  acquaint- 
ance with  us  he  had  sent  us  a  most  kind  and  conde- 
scending message,  assuring  us  that  he  is  ready  to 
grant  all  that  we  desired,  provided  we  would  visit 
him,  and  become  truly  his  friends,  and  undertake  to 
support  his  interests.  Would  not  our  course  be  a  very 
plain  and  simple  one  ?  Should  we  not  immediately 
repair  to  his  presence  ?  Should  we  not  freely  tender 
him  every  assurance  of  our  regard  and  unwavering 
attachment  ? 

The  humbled  sinner,  who  desires  to  be  saved — de- 
sires to  have  his  sins  blotted  out,  and  to  enjoy  the 
favour  and  friendship  of  Christ,  has  only  to  pursue 
the  same  course.     A  message  has  come  to  him  from 


230  THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION. 

Christ,  assuring  him  of  His  willingness  to  save  him, 
and  confer  upon  him  everlasting  blessedness.  "  Look 
unto  me,  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth,  and  be  ye  saved." 
"  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved."  ''  Come  unto  me,  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 
And  to  go  to  Christ,  we  have  not  to  travel  to  some 
distant  part  of  the  country.  We  may  just  go  into  the 
next  room  and  find  him  there ;  nay,  we  may  be  in 
the  field,  or  by  the  wayside,  or  in  the  engagements  of 
our  business,  and  Christ  is  just  by  our  side :  and 
"  Whosoever  shall  call  on  his  name  shall  be  saved." 

This  w^hole  business  of  "  taking  the  water  oflife^^^ 
of  obtaining  salvation,  is  one  of  the  simplest  things  in 
the  world.  It  is  just  giving  the  heart  to  Christ — tak- 
ing him  for  our  governor  and  guide,  and  setting  out 
in  a  new  and  heavenly  course. 

I  am  aware,  that  many  hesitate,  and  stumble  here. 
They  seem  to  think  there  is  some  great  obstacle  in  the 
way,  and  they  do  not  know  what  it  is,  or  how  to  re- 
move it.  There  is  undoubtedly  often  an  obstacle,  but 
that  obstacle  is  altogether  in  ourselves.  This  is  the 
particular  point  which  I  shall  endeavour  to  exhibit 
this  evening.  If  we  understand  what  the  obstacle  is, 
and  see  that  it  is  in  ourselves,  we  shall  then  be  pre- 
pared to  overcome  it. 

"  Whosoever  will,  let  him  take  of  the  water  of 
life  freely."  Man)^  persons  have  exceedingly  con- 
fused notions  in  reference  to  the  sinner's  inability  to 
turn  to  God.  With  a  view  to  exalt  the  sovereignty 
of  Jehovah,  and  preserve  in  its  integrity  the  doctrine 
that  the  sinner's  conversion  is  the  result  of  the  operation 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  views  are  sometimes  advanced  which 
seem  to  imply  that  sinners  may  be  desirous  to  become 


THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION.  231 

holy,  and  be  willing  to  submit  to  God,  and  yet  perish 
in  their  sins. 

Unconverted  men,  '^whom  the  God  of  this  world 
hath  blinded,  lest  the  light  of  the  glorious  Gospel  of 
Christ  should  shine  unto  them,"  are  often  v^ery  glad 
to  find  a  theological  covert  of  this  kind  under  which 
to  shelter  themselves,  and  to  sit  down  in  quiet  in  their 
sins. 

It  may  be  well  asked,  if  a  man  can  be  truly  willing 
to  be  saved,  and  desirous  to  become  holy,  and  yet  fail 
in  all  his  applications  to  a  throne  of  grace,  if  he  can 
do  nothing  but  sit  still  and  wait  till  God,  by  an  act  of 
sovereignty,  regenerates  his  heart ;  of  what  use  are 
any  efforts  to  turn  to  God  1  The  moment  a  man  be- 
comes convinced  that  this  is  his  situation,  his  con- 
science is  at  rest.  He  does  not  feel  condemned  for 
not  doing  what  he  cannot  do.  He  makes  up  his  mind 
to  sit  still.  He  will  not  try  to  repent,  or  turn  from 
any  sin.  He  regards  himself  as  an  unfortunate, 
rather  than  a  guilty  being,  and  in  his  heart  thinks  it 
would  be  an  act  of  infinite  tyranny  in  Jehovah  to  cast 
him  down  to  hell. 

Now,  from  the  doctrine  of  the  text,  it  is  clearly  de- 
monstrated that  this  whole  scheme  is  utterly  false.  It 
is  altogether  a  '^refuge  of  lies,^^  which  will  vanish 
away  like  smoke  when  the  light  of  eternity  breaks  in 
upon  the  soul.  The  word  of  God  everywhere  de- 
clares that  there  is  no  obstacle  in  the  sinner's  path 
except  his  own  unwillingness  to  submit  to  God.  God 
is  ready  to  be  reconciled  to  him.  Christ  died  for  the 
very  purpose  of  bringing  the  sinner  back  to  God. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  constantly  striving  with  the  sinner 
to  prevail  upon  him  to  yield,  and  return  to  the  Lord 


232  THE  PREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION. 

that  he  may  have  mercy  upon  him,  but  the  sinner 
himself  is  unwilling. 

No  one  that  reflects — no  one  that  has  any  acquaint- 
ance with  the  astonishing  scheme  of  mercy  revealed 
in  the  Gospel,  can  for  a  moment  suppose  that  there 
is  any  unwillingness  on  the  part  of  God  to  receive  any 
sinner  who  is  willing  to  be  reconciled,  and  desirous  to 
return  to  him.  The  very  supposition  is  a  libel  upon 
the  character  of  Jehovah,  and  in  direct  contradiction 
to  his  own  express  declaration — ^'  As  I  live,  saith  the 
Lord,  I  have  710  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked,  but 
that  the  Avicked  should  turn  and  live.  Turn  ye,  turn 
ye,  for  why  will  ye  die?"  Christ  lays  the  fault  of 
impenitent  men's  not  being  saved  at  their  own  door — 
*'  Ye  will  not  come  unto  me  that  ye  may  have  life." 

Placed  under  the  light  of  the  Gospel,  and  visited  by 
the  influences  and  strivings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  there 
is  no  inability  in  any  human  creature  which  can  be  the 
slightest  excuse  for  his  neglecting  for  a  single  hour 
his  salvation.  Salvation  has  been  prepared  for  him: 
God  is  waiting  to  be  gracious  :  all  things  are  ready. 
There  is  nothing  that  keeps  him  back  from  Christ,  and 
pardon,  and  everlasting  life,  but  his  own  obstinate,  un- 
subdued will  !  If  he  were  only  willing  to  be  saved, 
and  to  be  saved  in  God's  way,  his  sins  would  be  in- 
stantly remitted  and  he  "  set  in  heavenly  places  In 
Christ  Jesus. ^^ 

This  is  the  express  testimony  of  that  portion  of  the 
divine  word  which  stands  in  immediate  connection 
with  the  text.  "  The  spirit  and  the  bride  say  come, 
and  let  him  that  heareth  say  come,  and  let  him  that  is 
athirst  come  ;  and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  of  the 
water  of  life  freely." 


THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION.  233 

Observe,  First :  The  Spirit  bidsihe  dying  sinner  come 
to  the  waters  of  life.  The  Spirit  to  which  reference  is 
made  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  dictated  the  Scriptures, 
and  which  strives  with  sinners  to  turn  them  to  the  Lord. 

The  Holy  Scriptures  certainly  do  everywhere  invite 
men  to  return  to  the  Lord,  bearing  their  unqualified 
testimony,  that  if  they  will  do  so,  he  will  have  mercy 
upon  them,  and  abundantly  pardon  them. 

The  prophets  and  patriarchs,  and  all  those  holy 
men  who  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
have  borne  one  concurrent  testimony  in  relation  to 
God's  readiness  to  receive  into  everlasting  favour  all 
those  who  are  willing  to  return  to  him  with  prayer, 
and  penitence,  and  humble  reliance  on  the  blood  of 
Christ.  The  w^hole  scheme  of  redeeming  mercy  un- 
folded in  the  Scriptures,  rests  upon  the  implied  fact 
that  the  great  point  at  which  Jehovah  is  aiming  in  all 
that  he  is  doing  for  our  earth  is  to  bring  its  sinful  in- 
habitants into  a  state  of  submision  to  His  government. 
So  far  from  there  being  any  doubt  whether  God  will 
receive  those  who  return  to  Him,  the  very  object  for 
which  He  gave  His  Son  was  to  lead  sinners  to  return. 
How  absurd  then  the  idea,  that  any  are  willing  and 
anxious  to  do  so,  and  that  God  is  not  willing  to  re- 
ceive them  !  The  Spirit  breathes  this  invitation  from 
every  page  of  the  sacred  Word — "  Come,  come  to 
Christ  /  Come  and  give  yourself  up  to  the  Lord. 
Every  precept — every  exhortation  in  the  Bible  urges 
the  sinner  to  this  very  point.  And  after  all  this,  can 
you,  my  hearer,  think  that  .Jehovah  is  not  willing 
that  you  should  do,  what  He  so  repeatedly,  and  ear- 
nestly urges  upon  you  1  The  Holy  Spirit  bids  sinners 
come  by  a  voice  within.     There  is  not  an  individual 


234  THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION. 

before  me  that  has  not  often  heard  that  ''still  small 
voice^^ — that  has  not  often  felt  the  gentle  drawings, 
or  powerful  strivings  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  I  doubt  not 
that  there  are  many  before  me  this  evening  that  feel 
the  hand  of  the  Spirit  upon  them.  They  are  led  to 
see  they  are  sinners — to  feel  that  their  situation  is  a 
dangerous  one:  anxious  thoughts  begin  to  arise  in 
their  bosom,  and  already  have  they  formed  a  purpose 
that  they  will  pay  more  attention  to  the  great  matter 
of  their  salvation.  That  divine  influence  which  is 
making  5"our  heart  tender,  and  lighting  up  conscience 
with  a  flame,  and  causing  memory  to  write  bitter 
things  against  you,  is  the  voice  of  the  Spirit,  saying 
to  you — "  Come  to  the  feet  of  Jesus,  aiid  he  saved,'' 

Why  has  God  reached  down  His  hand  and  laid  it 
upon  you,  but  to  draw  you  to  Himself?  Why  has  He 
troubled  Himself  to  arouse  you  from  your  false  secur- 
it)^ — from  your  delusive  dreams,  but  to  recover  you 
out  of  the  snare  of  the  devil  1  Every  movement  of 
the  Spirit  upon  5^our  heart  says — "come.'''  And  here 
I  would  remark  that  when  men  are  long  weighed 
down  under  distress  of  mind  arising  from  conviction  of 
sin,  and  find  no  relief,  the  real  cause  of  their  anguish, 
and  of  this  protracted  mental  suffering,  is  their  unwil- 
lingness to  come  to  a  determination  to  obey  God,  and 
to  cast  themselves  upon  His  mercy  in  Christ.  The 
Holy  Spirit  holds  up  vividly  before  them  arguments 
and  motives  to  prompt  them  to  relinquish  their  rebel- 
lion, and  to  enter  at  once  upon  the  path  of  unquali- 
fied obedience,  but  this  they  are  not  willing  to  do. 
Their  reluctance — their  unwillingness  to  yield,  to  sub- 
mit, to  return  to  that  God  whom  they  have  offended,  is 
what  occasions  the  struggle  and  distress  in  their  minds. 


THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION.  235 

Observe^  Second  :  That,  not  only  the  Spirit,  hut  the 
Bride  bids  the  sinner  come.  The  Church,  the  Cove- 
nanted people  of  God,  all  who  have  been  made  saving- 
ly accjuainted  with  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  are  de- 
nominated his  spouse,  or  bride.  All  these  bear  one 
testimony  in  relation  to  the  fullness  and  freeness  of 
the  salvation  that  is  in  Christ.  Ask  of  all  who  have 
drank  of  the  water  of  life,  why  they  did  not  go  at  an 
earlier  period  to  that  crystal  stream,  to  slake  their 
burning  thirst,  and  they  will  tell  you  that  the  only 
reason  was,  that  they  were  not  willing  to  go — that 
the  moment  they  were  willing  to  go  every  obstacle 
was  removed,  and  they  found  this  heavenly  stream  as 
acceptable,  and  as  free  as  the  water  of  the  brook  which 
rolled  along  at  their  feet.  They  will  all  tell  you  that 
the  moment  they  were  w^illing  to  go  to  the  foot  of  the 
cross,  and  give  themselves  up  to  God,  light  and  peace 
and  comfort  broke  in  upon  their  minds. 

The  whole  Church  militant  bid  you  come.  And 
the  Church  triumphant,  those  glorified  spirits,  who 
were  once  lost,  guilty  sinners,  like  yourselves,  but 
who  have  now  escaped  from  the  pollutions  of  the 
world,  and  have  entered  upon  their  eternal  rest,  and 
follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth,  they  bid 
you  come  and  participate  in  those  "  riches  of  grace, ^^ 
that  were  so  freely  bestowed  on  them.  As  they  stand 
in  yonder  fields  of  glory  crowned  with  eternal  joys, 
they  invite  you  to  come  and  share  with  them  in  that 
unspeakable  felicity. 

Observe,  Third:  That  it  is  enjoined  upon  everyone 
that  heareth,  to  bid  the  dying  sinner  come.  ''  And 
let  him  that  heareth  say  come,'''' 


236  THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION. 

It  is  here  made  the  duty  of  all  who  hear  or  read 
the  g-ospel,  to  proclaim  the  freeness  of  God's  mercy, 
and  his  entire  willingness  to  receive  returning  sinners. 
The  duty  of  ministers — the  duty  of  Christians — yea, 
the  duty  of  all  who  hear  the  tidings  of  salvation,  is  in 
this  clause  distinctly  pointed  out.  They  are  to  pro- 
claim to  the  whole  Avorld,  to  every  human  creature 
whom  they  meet,  that  the  way  to  the  fountain  of  life 
is  entirely  open,  and  that  every  one  may  come  and 
take  of  its  waters  freely. 

Fourth  :  Again,  it  is  added,  ''  Let  him  that  is  athirst 
come.^'^  Let  every  man  throughout  the  broad  earth, 
who  thirsts  for  salvation — who  longs  to  have  his  sins 
forgiven,  and  his  name  written  in  the  book  of  life, 
come  to  Christ.  If  there  be  in  this  house  a  single 
individual  that  longs  to  be  saved,  and  to  enjoy  an 
evidence  that  he  is  a  child  of  God,  this  invitation  is 
addressed  especially  to  him.  And  then,  lest  any 
may  hesitate,  not  being  able  to  determine  whether 
their  thirst  be  spiritual  or  not,  the  text  is  added — '•'  Let 
whosoever  will,  or  is  willing,  come  and  take  the 
water  of  life  freely" — as  freely  as  he  would  take  water 
from  a  well  which  belonged  in  common  to  him  and 
all  his  neighbours. 

You  see,  therefore,  that  the  doctrine  of  the  text, 
and  the  testimony  of  Scripture  is,  that,  in  the  path  of 
the  sinner's  return  to  God,  there  is  no  obstacle  but 
that  which  exists  in  his  own  unwillingness  to  return. 

To  shed  still  more  light  upon  this  subject,  allow 
me  here  to  introduce  a  simple  incident,  to  illustrate 
the  principles  which  Ave  have  endeavoured  to  exhibit. 

A  number  of  years  since,  during  the  severity  of  a 


THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION.  237 

most  inclement  winter  in  London,  there  was  a  vast 
deal  of  suflering  among  the  unsheltered  and  house- 
less poor  that  roamed  through  that  extended  city. 
There  was,  however,  too  much  Christian  benevolence 
in  that  great  metropolis,  to  allow  these  poor  sufferers 
to  perish  in  the  street.  A  refuge  was  speedily  opened 
for  them.  Houses  were  litted  up  for  their  reception, 
and  bills  posted  at  the  corners  of  the  streets  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  town,  to  apprise  all  whom  it  might 
concern  of  this  fact.  The  bills  thus  posted,  not  only 
announced  the  fact  that  a  shelter  was  provided  for  the 
houseless^  but  described  with  great  particularity  the 
place  where  this  shelter  was  to  be  found,  and  the 
streets  that  led  to  it. 

Now,  I  have  no  doubt  that  these  bills  were  read  by 
some  who  felt  no  interest  in  the  information  commu- 
nicated. They  had  their  own  comfortable  houses, 
and  everything  that  heart  could  desire.  They  felt 
that  they  had  no  concern  with  this  information,  and 
carelessly  passed  on. 

In  like  manner,  are  there  many  that  hear  the  gos- 
pel— that  hear  the  way  pointed  out  to  Christ — that 
hear  that  he  is  a  refuge  to  which  the  lost  can  flee — 
and  yet,  they  feel  no  interest  in  all  this  intelligence. 
They  are  not  sensible  that  they  are  lost,  or  that  they 
need  a  refuge.  They  therefore  turn  carelessly  away 
from  the  most  affecting  appeals  that  can  be  presented 
to  urge  sinners  to  go  to  Christ, 

Again :  those  bills  were  unquestionably  read  by 
some  who,  though  they  needed  the  shelter  that  was 
offered,  would  not  go  to  any  one  of  these  asylums,  on 
account  of  the  restraints  which  they  would  expect  to 
meet  there.     And,  in  like  manner,  are  there  many 


238  THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION. 

who  feel  wretched  in  themselves,  and  who  would 
like  to  be  happy — would  like  to  escape  perdition,  and 
enter  heaven,  who  yet  will  not  go  to  Christ,  because 
they  cannot  do  so  without  renouncing  their  sins — cruci- 
fying the  flesh  with  its  affections  and  lusts,  and  becom- 
ing new  and  holy  men.  They  will  not  come  to  the 
waters  of  life,  because  they  dislike  the  way  that 
leads  to  the  fountain.  The  difficulty,  therefore,  is 
entirely  in  themselves. 

Again,  those  bills  were  probably  read  by  some  who, 
though  in  absolute  v/ant  of  the  proffered  charity, 
were  too  proud  to  avail  themselves  of  it. 

Just  so  it  is  with  many  who  hear  the  invitations  of 
the  gospel.  They  are,  in  a  degree,  convinced  of 
their  sinfulness,  and  at  times  feel  anxious  about  their 
souls.  But  then,  when  they  see  what  kind  of  salva- 
tion is  offered  them — that  they  are  to  be  stripped  of 
all  their  own  righteousness — that  they  can  bring 
nothing  to  Christ  to  purchase  salvation  with — that 
the}^  must  come  to  Christ  even  as  the  beggar  goes  to 
the  alms-house — and  that  they  cannot  come  to  him 
secretly — that  they  must  confess  before  the  world 
that  Saviour,  upon  whom  they  cast  their  souls — their 
proud  hearts  rise  up  in  rebellion  against  these  requi- 
sitions. They  would  like  to  be  saved,  but  not  in  this 
way.  But  as  God  has  revealed  only  one  way  that 
leads  to  the  waters  of  life — and  that  is  the  very  way 
which  they  so  much  dislike — they  refuse  to  take  of 
the  water  of  life. 

Once  more  :  These  bills  might  have  been  read  by 
some  who  doubted  whether  any  such  houses  were 
fitted  up  for  the  poor  ;  or,  if  there  were,  whether  they 
could  gain  admission,  if  they  went.     There  might 


THE    FREENESS    OF   THE    GOSPEL    SALVATION.     239 

have  been  those  who  were  in  destitution  and  want, 
that  urged  these  doubts  as  an  excuse  for  not  repairing 
to  these  asylums.  But  the  very  doubts  themselves 
showed  that  these  persons  were  not  willing  to  go. 

And  just  so  it  is  with  some  who  hear  the  gospel. 
When  the  claims  of  God's  law,  and  the  salvation 
that  is  in  Christ,  are  pressed  directly  upon  their  atten- 
tion, they  endeavour  to  ward  off  the  appeal,  by  stating 
doubts  that  rise  up  in  their  mind  about  the  certainty 
of  these  things.  All  this  is  said  to  excuse  themselves 
from  giving  up  themselves  immediately  to  God.  If 
they  have  any  doubts  in  relation  to  the  truth  of  the 
Bible,  they  should  satisfy  themselves  on  that  point 
immediately.  They  had  better  neglect  everything 
till  this  matter  is  investigated.  No  worldly  pursuit, 
no  human  interest,  can  have  a  claim  upon  their  atten- 
tion, in  any  degree  comparable  with  those  eternal 
things  of  which  the  Bible  treats.  While  they  are  de- 
ferring this  business,  they  may  die,  and  go  down  to 
the  pit,  and  there  they  will  no  longer  doubt. 

Inquiring  sinners  are  sometimes  kept  back  from 
Christ  by  fears  or  doubts,  whether  they  shall  be  receiv- 
ed. But  these  doubts  arise  from  a  wicked  heart  of 
unbelief.  They  are  more  ready  to  believe  the  sug- 
gestions of  Satan,  than  they  are  the  words  of  Christ. 
If  the  houseless  vagrant  had  followed  the  direction  on 
the  posted  bill,  and  not  found  any  shelter  to  receive 
him  ;  or,  if  he  had  applied  at  the  door  of  the  asylum, 
and  been  refused  admittance,  then  might  he  with  pro- 
priety have  called  in  question  the  truth  of  the  state- 
ments contained  upon  that  bill.  And  if  the  sinner 
honestly  seeks  to  save  his  soul,  and  that  in  the  way 
the  Bible  points  out,  and  fails  to  become  transformed 


240  THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION. 

into  the  image  of  Christ,  then  may  he  with  propriety 
doubt.  But  there  never  was  such  an  instance.  As 
God  is  true,  every  soul  that  seeks  salvation  with  hon- 
est and  persevering  efforts,  shall  obtain  it.  Whoever 
goes  and  knocks  at  the  door  of  mercy  will  find  admis- 
sion. "  Whosoever  will,  let  him  take  of  the  water  of 
life  freely.^' 

But  there  is  still  another  case,  which  I  must  sup- 
pose before  this  illustration  can  be  complete.  This  bill 
meets  the  eye  of  a  half-starved,  houseless  wanderer, 
who  really  wishes  to  find  a  place  of  shelter.  No 
sooner  is  he  made  acquainted  with  the  fact  there  com- 
municated, than  he  exclaims,  '■^  This  is  just  what  I 
want,  A  Shelter  for  the  Houseless  Poor.  I  have 
no  house,  no  shelter,  no  friends.  All  who  have  once 
loved  me  have  gone  down  to  the  grave,  I  have  parted 
with  my  last  farthing,  and  I  just  now  thought  I  would 
lie  down  in  the  street  here  and  die.  But  here  is  just  such 
provision  offered  me  as  I  need.     It  says,  "  All  who 

W^ILL  CAN   COME  WITHOUT    MONEY  AND  WITHOUT  PRICE  ! 

I  will  go  and  seek  admission."  He  follows  the  direc- 
tion in  the  bill.  He  reaches  the  asylum,  and  knocks 
at  its  door.  No  sooner  is  his  errand  made  known, 
than  he  is  welcomed  to  all  the  comforts  of  the  place. 
The  Gospel,  which  directs  sinners  to  Christ,  may 
not  improperly  be  compared  to  those  bills  which  were 
posted  at  the  corners  of  the  streets.  On  one  page  it 
says,  '^  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all 
acceptation,  that  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to 
save  sinners."  On  another  page  is  read  :  ^'  He  is  able 
to  save  unto  the  uttermost,  all  who  come  unto  God  by 
him."  On  a  third  :  "  Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labour 
and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest."     On 


THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION.  241 

a  fourth :  ''  Him  that  cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no 
wise  cast  out." 

A  convinced  sinner  who  wants  to  save  his  soul  reads 
these  declarations,  and  as  he  reads,  his  heart  burns 
within  him,  and  he  says  :  ^'  This  is  just  Avhat  I  need, 
I  am  a  sinner,  I  feel  condemned  before  God.  It  would 
be  perfectly  right  in  Jehovah  to  cast  me  away  for  ever 
as  an  unclean  thing — but  oh,  these  tidings !  this 
proclamation  of  pardon  and  peace  through  the  blood 
of  Jesus  Christ — this  offer  of  justification  by  grace ! 
It  is  precisely  adapted  to  my  wants  ;  it  is  exactly 
suited  to  my  case.  It  is  just  the  refuge  I  need  My 
own  heart  whispers  there  is  no  pardon  for  one  so  guilty, 
but  I'll  try : 

"  I'll  go  to  Jesus,  though  my  sin 
Hath  like  a  mountain  rose ; 
I  know  his  courts,  I'll  enter  in 
Whatever  may  oppose. 

Prostrate  I'll  lie  before  his  throne, 

And  there  my  guilt  confess  ; 
ril  tell  him  I'm  a  wretch  undone. 

Without  his  sovereign  grace. 

But  should  the  Lord  reject  my  plea. 

And  disregard  my  prayer  ; 
Yet  still  like  Esther  will  I  stay, 

And  perish  only  there. 

I  can  but  perish  if  I  go : 

I  am  resolved  to  try  ;  . 

For  if  I  stay  away,  I  know, 
1  must  for  ever  die." 

Do  you  think  Christ  ever  rejected  a  sinner  who 
came  to  him  in  this  way  1    No  !     While  the  sinner 
11 


242     THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION. 

thus  lies  prostrate  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  will  come  and  breathe  upon  these  dry  bones 
that  they  may  live.  Divine  grace  and  comfort  will 
come  down  upon  his  soul  like  the  sweet  summer 
shower,  or  the  silent,  unseen  gentle  dew  upon  the 
mown  grass.  While  he  lies  there  on  his  face,  pros- 
trate before  the  mercy  seat,  he  begins  to  drink  from 
the  crystal  stream,  that  issues  from  beneath  the 
throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  and  thus  becomes  ano- 
ther witness  for  Christ,  that  ''  Whosoever  will,  can 
come,  and  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely." 

There  are  several  important  practical  inferences  to 
be  deduced  from  the  views  now  exhibited,  which  will 
form  the  basis  of  another  discourse,  the  last  in  this 
series.  But  as  we  shall  not  deliver  that  until  the  first 
Sunday  evening  in  the  next  month,  we  may  regard 
this  series  of  discourses  as  closed  for  the  present. 

And  here  it  seems  a  proper  time  to  inquire.  What 
has  been  the  result  of  all  this  exhibition  of  truth  upon 
the  minds  of  the  unconverted  in  this  congregation  1 

Message  after  message  has  been  delivered  to  you, 
my  unconverted  friend,  from  God  himself.  While  I 
have  been  standing  here,  and  trying  to  exhibit  the 
truth  in  faithfulness,  the  people  of  God  have  been 
lifting  up  their  united  supplications  for  a  blessing  on 
you.  Oh,  you  will  never  know  till  you  enter  the 
eternal  world,  how  many  earnest,  fervent  prayers,  have 
been  offered  to  God  for  your  conversion.  The  pray- 
ers that  have  been  offered  up  have  pierced  the  hea- 
vens, and  entered  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  hosts.  The 
Holy  Spirit  has  been  sent  down,  and  souls  have  been 
co-nverted  to  God.  I  have  heard  from  the  lips  of  some 
of  my  hearers  such  testimony  as  I  am  sure  will  lead 


THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATION.  243 

me  to  rejoice  through  all  eternity,  that  I  have  been 
permitted  to  preach  this  series  of  sermons.  But  are 
there  not  many  that  are  still  unconverted  ?  My  dear 
hearer,  who  art  still  unconverted,  this  is  a  very  affect- 
ing moment  to  me.  I  can,  in  some  slight  degree,  con- 
ceive now  how  I  shall  feel,  if  I  see  you  at  last  driven 
out  for  ever  from  the  presence  of  God.  I  will  tell  you 
plainly  I  am  afraid  I  shall  see  this  one  day.  I  have 
been  seeking  for  this  many  weeks,  to  draw  out  of  the 
divine  treasury,  truth,  and  motives,  and  arguments, 
to  move  and  melt  your  heart ;  I  have  borne  you  on 
my  soul  continually  before  God.  Yes,  while  you  have 
slept,  I  have  awoke,  and  risen  to  pour  out  my  heart 
in  supplication  before  God  for  you.  I  have  asked  the 
prayers  of  all  God's  people  for  you.  I  have  besought 
the  members  of  this  Church  to  be  very  earnest  in  their 
prayers  to  God  for  you.  I  have  written  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Church,  in  which  I  formerly  ministered, 
entreating  them  to  bear  you  on  their  hearts  in  their 
approaches  to  the  mercy  seat.  I  have  v/ritten  to  my 
brethren  in  the  ministry,  and  besought  them  to  pray 
for  your  conversion.  I  have  held  up  before  you  Jesus 
Christ,  and  him  crucified.  I  have  exhibited  to  you  the 
strongest  motives  that  can  be  found  in  the  whole  word 
of  God.  The  Spirit  of  the  Son  has  been  here ;  and 
all  around  you  souls  have  found  salvation.  God  him- 
self has  been  striving  with  you  ;  and  yet,  after  all 
these  prayers,  and  all  these  appeals,  and  all  these 
strivings  of  the  Spirit :  here  you  are  to-night,  still  in 
your  sins — an  unconverted  sinner  !  !  And  I  tell  you 
the  truth,  when  I  say  I  am  afraid  that  you  never  will 
be  converted  !  I  am  afraid  that  where  God  and  Christ 
is  you  will  never  come  !  !      Oh,  I  could  sit  down  and 


244  THE  FREENESS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SALVATU 

weep  a  fountain  of  tears  over  you.  Here  are  the 
waters  of  life,  and  you  can  come  to  them,  but  you  Avill 
not.  Ye,  who  go  away  from  this  audience  to-night 
unconverted,  I  am  afraid  I  shall  never  meet  you  in 
glory.  Oh,  why  will  ye  die  ]  It  is  not  now  too  late. 
Whosoever  will,  let  him  take  of  the  water  of  life  free- 
ly. If  you  have  listened  to  all  these  discourses  un- 
moved, may  God,  in  his  infinite  mercy  to-night,  strike 
conviction  into  your  soul,  and  pluck  you  as  a  brand 
from  the  Burning ! 


VALUABLE  WORKS 

RECENTLY   ISSUED    BY 

ROBERT   CARTER, 

BOOKSELLER  &  PUBLISHER,  58  CANAL  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 
AND  THOMAS  CARTER,  PITTSBURG,  Pa, 

CHEAP  EDITIONS. 

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THE    COMPLETE    WORKS    OF    BISHOP 

BUTLER,  containing  Analogy  of  Natural  and  Revealed  Re- 
ligion, Dissertations,  Sermons,  Correspondence  with  Dr.  Clarke, 
&.C.  &c.  To  which  is  prefixed,  an  Account  of  the  Character 
and  Writings  of  the  Author.  By  Dr.  Halifax,  Bishop  of  Glou- 
cester. 1  vol.  8vo.  Splendid  edition  on  pica  type  and  fine 
paper. 

"  We  think  the  religious  public  must  welcome  with  gratitude  the  appear- 
ance of  this  volume,  containing  the  writings  of  so  distinguished  a  logician  and 
divine.  The  Analogy  of  Butler  enjoys  a  reputation  scarcely  second  to  any 
other  book  than  the  Bible  :  to  praise  it  would  be  a  work  of  supererogation. 
As  a  specimen  of  analogical  reasoning,  we  suppose  it  has  never  been  equalled ; 
and  its  influence,  in  promoting  ministerial  efficiency,  can  hardly  be  over-rated. 
Some  ministers  are  in  the  habit  of  reading  it,  carefully,  once  every  year.  The 
Analogy  occupies  about  one  half  the  volume  ;  the  remainder  consists  of  Dis- 
sertations and  Sermons  on  important  subjects,  and  may  be  read  with  pleasure 
and  profit.  The  volume  contains  more  than  600  pages,  and  is  furnished  at  a 
very  low  price." — New  England  Puritan. 

"  The  Dissertations  and  Sermons  are  distinguished  by  the  same  greatness 
of  mind  which  sjceads  itself  over  the  Analogy.  His  views  of  conscience,  and 
his  illustrations  of  the  subjective  influence  of  the  love  of  God,  are  the  product 
of  deep  reflection.  He  follows  out,  with  a  cool  and  careful  hand,  the  great 
principle  of  fitness,  comparing  things  with  each  other,  and  demonstrating 
their  relative  importance,  and  the  propriety,  beauty,  and  grandeur  of  the  es- 
sential truths  in  morahty  and  religion." — N.  Y.  Evangelist. 

JAY'S    MORNING  EXERCISES  FOR  THE 

CLOSET,  for  Every  Day  in  the  Year.     New  edition,  2  vols. 

in  one,  12mo. 
JAY'S   EVENING    EXERCISES    FOR  THE 

CLOSET,  for  Every  Day  in  the  Year.     New  edition,  2  vols 

in  one,  12mo.,  bound  uniform  with  the  Morning  Exercises. 
THE   ENTIRE  WORKS  OF  THE  REV.  H. 

SCOUGAL,  consisting  of"  the  Life  of  God  in  the  Soul,"  &c. 

&c.     1  vol.  18mo. 

BAXTER'S  CALL  TO  THE  UNCONVERT- 
ED, to  which  are  added  "  Now  or  Never,"  "  Fifty  Reasons,'* 
&c.,  with  an  Introductory  Essay  by  Thomas  Chahners,  D.D. 

SpRROWING  YET  REJOICING;  or,  Narra- 
tive  of  Recent  Successive  Bereavements  in  a  Clergyman's 
Family.  By  the  Rev.  Alexander  Beith,  Stirling.  4th  edition, 
32mo. 

"  It  is  written  wth  the  utmost  simplicity,  and  is  pervaded  throughout  by  a 
tone  of  the  most  evangelical  devotion.  Its  tale  is  told  in  language  the  most 
scriptural  and  touching,  whilst  it  gives  an  index  to  the  happy  and  composed 
state  of  the  author's  own  feelmgs,  aniid  the  most  trying,  and,  to  nature,  over- 
whelming bereavements.  It  is  peculiarly  valuable,  as  presenting  the  most 
striking  examples  of  the  work  and  power  of  grace  on  the  youthful  and  the  in- 
fant mind,  and  the  process  by  which  Jesus  sanctifies  and  purifies  the  souls  at 
the  lambs  of  'lis  flock,  before  they  aire  taken  to  be  with  him  in  glory.'^—Guar. 


3 

THE    LIFE,    NVALK    AND   TRIUMPH    OP 

FAITH.    By  the  Rev.  W.  Romaine,  A.M.    12mo.   New  edi. 
tion,  muslin. 

"  Many  a  good  old  believer  will  have  his  heart  cheered  and  his  soul  comfort- 
ed by  the  republication  of  this  book.— The  truth  drops  from  his  pen  like  man- 
na. His  conceptions  are  remarkably  clear,  and  his  style  simple  and  scrip- 
tural. His  own  life  by  faith  enabled  him  to  write  so  well  for  the  edification 
of  others." — Baptist  Advocate. 

"  Here  are  three  distinct  treatises  on  the  same  general  subject,  to  which 
•vangelical  Christians  of  every  denomination,  during  nearly  three  quarters  of 
a  century,  have  united  in  awarding  the  highest  praise. — They  indicate  not 
only  a  most  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  Bible,  but  a  rare  knowledge  of  the 
workings  of  the  human  heart,  and  are  at  once  full  of  instruction,  adraonitioa 
and  consolation.  The  most  advanced  Christian  cannot  fail  to  read  them  with 
profit,  and  the  young  Christian  will  find  them  among  the  safest  guides  and 
best  helps  in  the  religious  hfe,  which  are  to  be  found  any  where  out  of  the 
Bible." — Albany  Daily  Advertiser. 

THE  RETROSPECT;  or  Review  of  Providential 
Mercies,  with  Anecdotes  of  various  Characters.  By  Aliquis, 
formerly  a  Lieutenant  in  the  Royal  Navy,  and  now  a  Minister 
in  the  English  Church.  From  the  18th  London  edition  2d 
edition,  18mo. 

"  This  volume  is  one  of  uncommon  interest.  While  the  reader  is  enchained 
by  the  narrative,  which  it  full  of  incident,  in  a  style  simple  and  lively,  he  finds 
it  eminently  conducive  to  the  cultivation  of  a  devotional  s]iirit,  and  to  an  ad- 
miring view  of  the  methods  of  Divine  providence  and  grace.  We  remember 
this  work  a  few  years  since,  with  great  interest,  since  which  we  have  not  met 
with  it.  We  have  glanced  over  the  pages  of  this  editi.n  with  renewed  great 
pleasure.  The  great  popularity  of  this  volume  app*irs  from  the  large  number 
of  editions  through  which  it  has  passed  in  Great  Britain  in  a  short  number  of 
years,  having  now  reached  the  ITth  edition,  and  proofs  of  its  usefulness  have 
not  been  wanting.  We  can  assure  our  readers  that  there  are  few  works  of 
the  kind  so  deeply  interesting,  or  so  well  adapted  to  rehgious  edification.  We 
cordially  recommend  it." — Christ.  Intell. 

THE  MARTYR  LAMB;  or  Christ  the  Representa. 
tive  of  his  People  in  all  a^^cs.  By  F.  W.  Krummacher,  D.D., 
author  of  "  Elijah  the  Tishbite,"  &c.     1  vol.  ISmo.     3d  ed. 

"  Our  author  is  characterized  by  a  glowing  and  imaginative  style,  which 
■eems  to  be  the  expression  of  a  heart  warmed  by  piety,  and  susceptible  of  the 
tcnderest  emotions.  He  displays  a  haj)py  tact  in  developing,  in  the  most  pleas- 
ing manner,  the  circumstances  of  a  scriptural  incident  or  character,  and  of 
deriving  from  it  practical  lessons."— Prei/^y/erian. 

"  It  is  seldom  that  the  doctrines  of  grace  are  set  forth  in  a  more  florid  man- 
ner, than  in  this  work  of  the  excellent  Krummacher.  We  find  here  the  es- 
»ence  of  the  gospel  presented  to  the  mind  with  great  originality  and  warmth. 
It  i«  a  book  which  we  could  freely  put  into  the  hands  of  all  Christian  readers." 
— Biblical  Repertory  and  Princeton  Review. 

THE  KEY  TO  THE  SHORTER  CATE- 
CHISM.  Containing  Catechetical  Exercises,  a  Paraphrase, 
and  a  New  Scries  of  Proofs  on  each  Question.  New  edition. 
18mo 


4 

OLD     HUMPHREY'S     OBSERVATIONS. 

3d  edition.     1  vol.  18mo. 

*'  It  is  a  rare  thing-,  in  these  book-making  days,  to  meet  with  such  a  conden- 
sation of  truth — with  such  an  amount  of  wisdom  in  so  small  a  compass,  adapt- 
ed to  men  of  all  ag-es,  conditions  and  characters,  and  fitted  to  produce  a  lasting 
impression  on  every  mind  that  comes  in  contact  with  it." — Boston  Recorder. 

"  Short  and  readable  articles,  containiiig  shrewd  observations  and  just  senti- 
ments."— Presbyterian. 

"  Old  Humphrey  is  a  popular  writer  in  England  ;  his  works  have  been  pub- 
lished by  the  London  Religious  Tract  Society,  and  have  been  eagerly  sought. 
The  rich  vein  of  religious  wit  that  runs  through  every  page,  and  the  strong, 
plain,  common  sense  that  attends  everything  he  utters,  commend  his  writings 
to  the  popular  taste  ;  and  happily  please  while  they  greatly  profit  the  reader." 
"—New-York  Observer. 

OLD    HUMPHREY'S   ADDRESSES.     Bythe 

author  of  "  Old  Humphrey's  Observations."     2d  edition,  18mo. 

"  It  consists  of  a  number  of  short  papers  on  a  great  variety  of  subjects, 
written  in  a  devotional  spirit,  and  with  great  shrewdness,  good  sense,  and 
quiet  humour.  It  is,  therefore,  a  very  pleasant  book." — Biblical  Repertory 
and  Princeton  Review. 

"  They  have  a  style  decidedly  their  own,  quaint,  pithy,  pointed,  sententi 
ous,  lively  and  popular;  but  their  chief  excellence  is  the  constant  and  sue- 
cessful  effort  of  the  author  to  draw  a  moral  from  every  thing  he  nieete  "  — 
New-York  Observer. 

"We  recently  noticed  Old  Humphrey's  Observations  as  a  very  entertaming 
volume,  and  the  Addresses  exhibit  the  same  point,  innocent  humour,  and  sound 
instruction.  We  can  give  our  readers  no  general  idea  of  the  contents  where 
there  is  so  much  variety,  but  advise  them  to  buy  and  read." — Presbyterian. 

COMFORT  IN  AFFLICTION:  A  Series  uf  Me- 
ditations.  By  the  Rev.  James  Buchanan,  one  of  the  Ministers 
of  the  High  Church,  Edinburgh.  From  the  9th  Edinburgh 
edition.     1  vol.  18mo. 

"  The  blessed  results  of  affliction  are  treated  with  peculiar  force  of  argu- 
ment, and  felicity  of  expression — strong  in  scriptural  statements  of  divine 
truth,  and  rich  in  scriptural  sources  of  divine  consolation — in  a  most  valuable 
work,  entitled  '  Comfort  in  Affliction,^  by  the  Rev.  James  Buchanan, — which 
I  would  affectionately  recommend  to  every  Christian  mourner  who  desires  to 
drink  freely  of  the  refreshing  streams  which  the  Fountain  of  all  Comfort— the 
Word  of  God,  supplies  ;  for  it  is  from  this  sacred  source  the  pious  and  talent- 
ed author  of  this  excellent  work  derives  '  Comfort  in  Affliction,'  which  his 
pages  so  eloquently  and  attractively  set  forth." — Rev.  Hugh  Wldte  of  Dublin, 

LIVE  NA^HILE  YOU  LIVE.  By  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Griffith,  A.M.,  Minister  of  Ram's  Episcopal  Chapel,  Homer- 
ton.     IBmo. 

"  We  never  heard  before  of  the  author  of  this  little  book,  but  we  expect  to 
hear  of  him  again,  as  we  cannot  believe  that  such  a  pen  as  he  holds  wiU  ba 
suffered  to  remain  unemployed.  The  work  is  divided  into  five  chapters — 
'  Life  a  Pilgrimage,'  'Life  a  Race,'  '  Life  a  Conflict,'  '  Life  a  Blessing,'  'Life 
n  seed  time  for  Eternity.'  Not  only  is  the"  general  conception  of  the  work 
exceedingly  happy,  being  somewhat  of  that  pithy  and  striking  character  for 
which  Jafs  writings  are  so  remarkable,  but  the  whole  train  of  thought  is  in 
beautiful  harmony  with  the  plan  ;  the  style  is  highly  polished,  the  spirit  deep- 
ly evangelical,  and  the  tendency  quickening,  elevating,  comforting.  It  may 
very  profitably  occupy  an  hour  or  two  of  any  person's  leisure,  who  reads  for 
the  gratification  of  a  refuied  taste,  for  the  cultivation  of  a  reUgious  sensibility, 
sr  for  improvement  intha  Christian  life." — Albany  Daily  Advertistr, 


9 
WORKS 

BY  REV.  J.  A.  CLARK,  D.  D. 

RECTOR  OF  ST.  ANDREW'S  CHURCH, 
PHILADELPHIA. 


I. 

A  WALK  ABOUT  ZION.    Revised  and  Enlarged.     Fifth  edi- 

tion ;  l2mo.  2  steel  engravings. 

"  The  spirit  of  the  book  is  above  all  price.  It  is  that  charity  which  en- 
vieth  not,  vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed  up.  No  intelligent  man  will  be 
disposed  to  deny  that  the  arrogant  principle  of  Puseyism  has  extensively 
infected  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Great  Britain  and  this  country.  Wheii^ 
therefore,  we  find  a  w^riter  of  that  communion  who  is  not  in  the  least  af- 
fected by  it,  but  who  utters  in  Christian  meekness  and  simplicity,  senti« 
ments  becoming  the  liberal  philosopher  and  the  humble  minded  believer  in 
Jesus,  our  heart  yearns  the  more  towards  him  on  account  of  the  strong  ad- 
verse influence,  which,  we  know,  he  is  obliged  constantly  to  resist." — bap- 
tist Advocate. 

II. 

THE  PASTOR'S  TESTIMONY.   Fifth  edition;  12mo.    Revised 

and  corrected  ;  2  steel  engravings. 

"  We  admire  the  spirit  and  sentiments  of  the  author  on  all  practical 
points  of  religion  " — Presbyterian. 

"  Mr.  Clarke  is  an  eminently  evangelical  writer  of  the  Protestant  Episco> 
pal  Church,  and  his  productions  have  been  extensively  read  by  other  d» 
nominations."— 2^ewj  York  Observer. 

III. 
THE  YOUNG  DISCIPLE;  or  a  Memoir  ofAnggonettaR.  Peters. 

Fourth  edition ;  l2ino. 

"  Dr.  Clarke  has  for  some  time  been  known  to  the  religious  public,  as  one 
of  the  most  judicious  and  excellent  -^vriters  of  the  day.  His  works  are  all 
characterized  by  good  thoughts  expressed  in  a  graceful  and  appropriate 
manner,  by  great  seriousness  and  unction,  and  an  earnest  desire  to  promote 
the  spiritual  interests  of  his  fellow  men."— Albany  Daily  Advertiser. 

IV. 

GATHERED  FRAGMENTS.    Fourth  eaition;    12ino.     2  steel 

engravings. 
Containing— The  M'Ellen  Family.— The  Paralytic— The  Withered  Branch 

Revived.— The  Baptism.— Little  Ann.— The  Meeting  of  the  Travellers. — 

Mary  Maywood.— A  Family  in  Eternity.— One  whose  Record  is  on  High, 

&c.  &c. 

V. 

CLEANINGS   BY  THE   WAY;   or  Travels  in  the  Country. 
1  vol. ;  l2mo. 


10 

ANECDOTES   ILLUSTRATIVE   OF  THE  SHORTER  CATE» 

CHISM.     By  John  Whitccross,  Edinburgh.     New  edition; 

l8mo. 

"  We  admire  the  plan  of  this  work,  which  is  by  striking  anecdotes,  to  il- 
lustrate and  enforce  the  answers  to  tiie  questions  of  that  invaluable  com- 
pend,  the  Shorter  Catechism."— i?os,'o?z  Recorder. 

"The  author  of  this  work  has  been  alike  original  in  its  conception  and 
successful  in  its  execution.  The  anecdotes  are  generally  selected  with 
great  good  taste  and  good  judgment,  and  are  admirably  fitted  to  impress 
the  truths  which  they  are  designed  to  illustrate.  This  will  relieve  the  cate- 
chism of  a  difficulty  v/hich  many  have  felt  in  respect  to  it — that  it  is  too 
abstract  to  be  comprehended  by  the  mind  of  a  child :  here  every  truth  is 
seen  in  its  practical  relations,  and  becomes  associated  in  the  niind  with 
some  interesting  fact  which  is  fitted  at  once  to  make  it  plain  to  the  under- 
standing, to  lodge  it  in  tlie  memory,  and  to  impress  it  upon  the  heart." — 
Albany  Daily  Advertiser. 

THE  SINNER'S  FPJE\'D.    From  the  87th  London  edition,  com- 

pletinjr  upwards  of  half  a  miliion, 

'•This  little  volume  contains  a  series  of  short,  earnest,  and  impressive 
appeals,  addressed  to  the  conscience  of  the  sinner,  to  persuade  him  to  be 
reconciled  to  God.  It  appears  to  us  well  adapted  for  general  circulation, 
especially  in  seasons  t;i  inquiry.  There  is  perhaps  no  work  of  the  kind 
more  popular,  or  more  extensively  read.  It  is  stated  that  the  work  has 
been  published  in  sixtern  different  languages,  and  that  more  than  five  hun- 
dred thousand  copies  ha'  •-  been  circulated,  mostly  in  the  different  countries 
of  Europe." — Christian  U' server. 

"It  is  designed  by  its  liircct  appeals  to  arrest  the  attention  of  the  most 
careless  reader,  and  to  poi.r  into  his  ear  some  word  of  truth  before  he  can 
become  fatigued  with  reading." — Presbyterian. 

"  It  is  fitted  to  be  an  admirable  auxiliary  to  ministers  in  the  discharge  of 
their  duty." — Albany  Daily  Advertiser. 

NEW  WORK  BY  OLD  HUMPHREY.    THOUGHTS  FOR  THE 

THOUGHTFUL.      By  the  author  of   "Old  Humphrey's 

Observations,"   and    "Old   Humphrey's  Addresses."      1  vol. 

l8mo.     Uniform  with  the  former  works. 

' '  Old  Humphrey'  is  known  as  the  personification  of  an  old  man,  who 
has  not  only  had  his  eyes  open  in  his  journry  through  life,  but  has  act- 
ually seen  many  things  that  escape  the  observation  of  others,  from  which 
he  has  gathered  lessons  of  wisdom  for  the  instruction  of  those  who  follow 
them.  His  style  and  manner  are  well  adapted  to  interest  the  reader.  He 
never  speaks  without  thinking,  and  havi;.g  something  to  say." — Christian 
Observer. 

"  We  most  cordially  reccomraend  Old  Humphrey  as  a  charming  domes- 
tic companion;  assuring  our  friends  that  there  is  not  a  family  in  the  Re- 
piiblic  but  may  save  in  one  day,  by  following  his  advice,  more  than  the  cost 
of  his  volumes." — National  Intelligencer. 

LUCILLA5  or  the  Reading  of  the  Bible.     By  Adolphe  Monod. 

1  vol.  l8ino. 

"  This  is  the  producti->n  of  one  of  the  most  distinguished  of  the  living 
Protestant  ministers  of  France.  The  style  has  all  the  sprightliness  and 
vivacity  of  the  French  ;  and  we  doubt  not  that  the  work  will  have  an  exten- 
sive circulation  in  this  country" — N.  E.  Puritan. 

"  Its  design  is  to  prove  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  inspired  of  God,  and 
that  it  is  the  privilege  and  duty  of  aU  people  to  read  them  with  a  referenc* 


11 

to  their  personal  salvation.  The  work  is  ably  written,  and  impressed 
throughout  with  the  kind,  earnest,  and  benevolent  spirit  of  the  author." — 
Christian  Observer. 

"  We  venture  to  say  that  it  contains  one  of  the  most  acute,  philosophical, 
and  conclusive  arguments  in  favor  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptuns,  and 
qyf  the  importance  of  their  universal  circulation,  to  be  found  in  any  lan- 


guage. Part  of  the  book  is  in  the  form  of  dialogue,  and  part  of  it  in  the 
form  of  epistolary  correspondence ;  and  while  the  argument  is  conducted 
on  both  sides  with  great  ability,  the  skeptic  is  finally  confounded,  not  be- 


cause he  appears  as  the  weaker  man,  but  because  he  has  the  weaker  cause. 
We  would  say  to  any  who  have  doubts  in  respect  to  the  truth  of  Christian- 
ity, that  they  will  do  themselves  great  injustice,  if  they  cherish  those  doubts 
or  allow  them  to  settle  into  uiibelief,  without  having  given  this  book  a 
careful  perusal.  If  we  mistake  not,  they  will  find  that  the  skeptic  lias  liere 
been  allowed  to  make  the  very  best  of  Jiis  case,  while  yet,  after  all,  he  has 
been  compelled  to  abandon  it." — Albany  Daily  Advertiser. 

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edition.    2  vols.  8vo.     10  portraits  on  steel. 

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tinent.    1  vol.  12mo. 

'•  We  have  read  the  whole  of  this  large  volume  with  undiminished  inter- 
est, and  have  found  it  replete  with  missionary  information,  given  in  an  un- 
pretending, but  strong  and  clear  style.  The  wretched  state  of  the  heathen 
tribes,  among  whom  the  writer  so  long  laboured  as  a  missionary;  their 
deep  degradation  and  ignorance ;  the  trials  of  faith  and  patience,  of  the 
missionary  brethren ;  and  after  years  of  apparently  useless  labour,  and 
when  the  churches  at  home  seemed  ready  to  abandon  the  whole  field,  the 
displays  of  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  by  his  blessing  upoji  the  labours 
of  his  servants,  are  all  recorded  by  an  eye-witness,  who  bore  the  burden  and 
heat  of  the  day,  and  who  lived  to  rejoice  in  seeing  the  triumphs  of  the  Gos- 
pel, among  the  most  ignorant  and  degraded  of  the  human  family.  The  nar- 
rative is  enriched  also  with  descriptions  of  African  scenery;  with  the  em- 
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lions  and  other  beasts  of  prey,  and  the  wars  and  massacres  of  the  roving 
bands  of  marauders,  in  their  desolating  excursions  from  place  to  place." — 
Foreign  Missionary 

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Contnits. — The  Solemn  Inquiry. — First  Murder. — Deluge. — Servant  Ex- 
pelled.— Affectionate  Father  [Sacrificing  his  Son. — Afl'ecting  Funered. — 
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Steward.— Pious    Prisoner.— Righteous    Governor.— Mistaken    Saint— 


12 

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respondence.    l2mo. 
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ISmo. 
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THE  BELIEVER,  a   series   of  Discourses,  by  the  Rev.    Hugh 

White,  author  of  "  Meditations  on   Prayer,"  &c.  ISmo.  gilt 

back. 
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Date  Due 

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1 — 

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